The Ultimate Sacrifice
by Rebecca Cage
Summary: One year after Secrets in the Skies. When Ash suddenly falls ill and is hospitalized, the diagnosis is terrifying. Only one person can save him. Who is this person and will they be willing to make that sacrifice. PG-13 for subject. R&R. FINISHED!!!!!
1. An Unexpected Turn

The Ultimate Sacrifice  
  
Chapter 1: An Unexpected Turn  
  
"Ash! Honey, where are you?" Misty called through the house. She was looking for her missing husband.  
  
"I'm in here, Mist. In the bedroom." Ash responded. He was lying on their bed resting. He had just about fallen asleep when he heard Misty calling him.  
  
"Ash, are you all right? Why are you still in bed at 1:30 in the afternoon?" Misty was suddenly very concerned about her husband. Ash was usually up at the crack of dawn and didn't stop until late at night and it was unlike him to seem so lacking in energy.  
  
"I don't really know. I've just been really tired lately. It's like all of my energy has just been drained."  
  
"Well I'm worried about you. You really haven't been yourself the past couple of weeks." Misty stopped when she noticed that Ash had dozed off. She walked over to the bed and pulled the blanket up to his shoulders. "I love you, sweetheart. Get some rest so maybe you'll feel better." Misty walked to the door and slipped out of the bedroom and, taking a quick glance at Ash's sleeping form on the bed, closed the door behind her.  
  
As she went about straightening things up in the house, which was what Misty did whenever she was worried or upset, she couldn't stop thinking about how tired and weak Ash had seemed lately. Misty was racking her brain trying to figure out a way that she could try to help Ash but she only frustrated herself when she came to be at a loss for ideas. Just then Misty heard someone knocking on the door.  
  
When Misty opened the door she was happy to see Tracey and Carla standing there, having stopped by for a visit. Misty really needed a distraction right now and having visitors seemed to be a perfect one.  
  
"Hi, Tracey. Hi, Carla. What brings you guys by?" Misty asked.  
  
"Hey, Misty. We had to run an errand for Professor Oak and on the way back we thought we'd stop in for a few minutes if you guys aren't busy." Tracey said.  
  
"I'm really glad you decided to. Would you like to come in?" Misty stepped out of the door to allow Tracey and Carla to enter and then closed the door back quietly. "We'll have to keep our voices down for now though because Ash is taking a nap in the bedroom."  
  
"That's strange. From what I've seen of Ash and what Tracey has told me about him, he's very energetic. Not the kind of person who would be sleeping at this time in the afternoon." Carla observed.  
  
"Yeah. I don't understand either. I remember back when we were traveling together helping Ash train for the Orange League, Misty. There were times when you and I both would be so tired that we'd be on the verge of collapsing and Ash was just determined to keep going for as long as possible." Tracey shook his head. "I hope Ash is okay. This isn't like him at all."  
  
"Believe me, Tracey, nobody in the world hopes that more than I do." Misty sighed.  
  
"Hey, Misty. I heard voices. Were you talking to someone? Oh, hi Tracey. When did you and Carla stop by?" Ash had awakened from his nap and was now standing in the living room, smiling at his wife and their friends.  
  
"We just got here a few minutes ago. Misty said that you were asleep." Tracey said.  
  
"I was asleep and I feel a little bit better after I took a nap. I really don't know why I've been so tired lately." Ash remarked.  
  
"Well, I hope you're okay, Ash." Carla said quietly.  
  
"Hey, Tracey. Why don't you and Carla stay and have lunch with us?" Misty suggested, changing the subject.  
  
"That's a good idea! What do you guys think?" Ash asked, clearly happy about Misty's idea.  
  
* * * * *  
  
While Misty and Carla were in the kitchen working on making some sandwiches and things for them to have for lunch, Tracey and Ash were sitting on the couch in the living room watching television and talking.  
  
"Hey, Trace. Can I talk to you about something?" Ash asked suddenly.  
  
"Sure. You can always talk to me about anything." Tracey answered, caught totally off guard.  
  
"Well, I didn't want to say anything about this in front of the girls because I didn't want to alarm Misty, but not only have I been tired lately but I haven't been feeling all that well. I feel okay now and I hope that it'll last awhile." Ash said quietly, sounding somewhat distracted.  
  
Before Tracey could say anything in response to Ash's comment, they heard Misty and Carla come out of the kitchen with the food for lunch. They were both a little worried but had no idea of what was going on in the living room.  
  
"Hey. Are we going to eat lunch or are you guys going to sit there and stare at the television all day?" Carla asked, trying to break the tension that she had noticed when she and Misty had entered the room.  
  
"We were just waiting on you guys. I'm pretty hungry. Let's have some lunch." Ash smiled as he kissed Misty on the cheek.  
  
As they were eating lunch, the friends talked about things that were going on in their lives and tried their best to pretend like nothing was wrong. This was extremely hard for Misty who just sat there quietly listening to the conversation, but said little of anything at all.  
  
"Hey, Tracey. What's it like for you and Carla to have my mom around all the time?" Ash asked with innocent curiosity. Delia and Professor Oak had gotten married not long before Ash and Misty so Delia moved to the lab and let Ash and Misty have the house.  
  
"I'll have to admit it was a little strange at first but we're getting adjusted to it. Professor Oak seems like a different person since he married your mom, Ash. He is definitely a whole lot happier." Tracey smiled.  
  
"Yeah and we've all been eating really well too. You're mom is a fantastic cook." Carla cut in.  
  
"That's my mom." Ash laughed.  
  
"I've noticed when we've seen Ash's mom that she's a lot happier too. I know how she feels because I've felt the same way ever since I married Ash." Misty said quietly as she took Ash's hand.  
  
* * * * *  
  
A little while later as the girls were cleaning things up from lunch, Ash and Tracey were once again left to look for a way to amuse themselves. It was Ash who was the first to come up with an idea.  
  
"Hey, Trace. I know what we can do. Why don't we have a Pokemon battle out in the backyard. What do you think?" Ash suggested eagerly.  
  
"That's an idea. Why don't we have a two on two battle." Tracey said cautiously.  
  
"You're on. Let's go out back and we can get down to it." Ash laughed and hurried out into the backyard with Tracey right behind him.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Out in the yard, Ash and Tracey were preparing to have a two on two battle. They had set up the terms of the battle and after taking a few minutes to ponder on their choice of Pokemon it was time for them to start their first battle. This battle was going to put Pikachu up against Tracey's Venonat.  
  
"Okay, Pikachu. Even though this is a friendly battle you should still do your best to win." Ash said to the electric mouse Pokemon standing next to him.  
  
"Pika." (Right.) Pikachu agreed confidently.  
  
"Give it all you've got, Venonat." Tracey patted his Pokemon on the head as he spoke.  
  
"Veno nat." (Sure thing.)  
  
As soon as the two Pokemon were in their places, the battle started full out. Ash lead off with a confusing agility attack that left Tracey unable to make a move for a few moments. Then Tracey caught a chance and decided to take it.  
  
"Okay, Venonat. Move in and try a tackle attack on Pikachu." Tracey called.  
  
"Pikachu, jump out of Venonat's way!" Ash countered as Pikachu followed the command and caused Venonat to bounce off of the back of the house, defeating him.  
  
"Nuts! Return, Venonat." Tracey cried as he recalled Venonat and pulled out another Pokeball. "Your turn, Scyther."  
  
"Scyther!" (Let's go!) Scyther yelled as he landed on the grass and faced Pikachu.  
  
"Here we go, Scyther. Let's make a comeback. Try a Swords Dance!" Tracey commanded his Pokemon as Scyther began slashing his claws and rapidly advancing on Pikachu.  
  
The sudden move on Tracey's part left Ash with very little time to think. After a momentary panic Ash decided to make a move that was probably his only chance as he watched Scyther closing in on Pikachu.  
  
"Pikachu! Duck under Scyther's claws and then come back up with a Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled as he ducked his friend's flying claws just in time and stood back to turn toward Scyther.  
  
"Pi ka CHUUUUU!" Pikachu's victory call rang out as his attack connected and Scyther fainted, giving Ash and Pikachu the victory.  
  
"Good job, Scyther. You gave a great effort." Tracey smiled as he recalled Scyther. "Nice job Ash.  
  
Ash was busy congratulating Pikachu and smiled when he heard Tracey's comment. "Thanks. It was a good battle. We should do this type of thing a lot more often."  
  
Then Ash and Tracey turned and headed back toward the house, motioning for Pikachu to follow them. They hadn't gotten very far when Tracey noticed that Ash was looking really pale and knew something was seriously wrong.  
  
"Are you okay, Ash? What's the matter?" Tracey asked, his voice full of concern.  
  
"Suddenly I just don't feel well at all." Ash whispered almost inaudibly as his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed on the ground. Pikachu immediately took off into the house to get Misty as Tracey stood there looking on in shock. 


	2. Tense Moments

Chapter 2: Tense Moments  
  
Misty and Carla were just finishing cleaning up in the kitchen when Pikachu came barreling in the door. Misty was clearly startled but her fear increased when Pikachu was indicating something was very wrong.  
  
"Pika, Pikachupi! Pikapi pi kachu pikachu chu Pipichupipika pika pikachu pi pika pika Pikapi pikachu!" (Help, Misty! Ash won a battle with Tracey but we were coming back and Ash collapsed!) Pikachu screamed hysterically as soon as he reached Misty.  
  
"What!" Misty gasped.  
  
"What's wrong, Misty? What did Pikachu say?" Carla asked, startled by the exchange.  
  
"Pikachu said that Ash and Tracey were coming in after a battle and Ash collapsed." Misty said as calmly as possible.  
  
"We have to do something. Pikachu, go get Professor Oak and tell him that we need help now. I'll call and try to get an ambulance here." Carla said as she put a hand on Misty's shoulder.  
  
"I'm going to go outside and see if I can help Tracey." Misty said, running out the door as Carla nodded at her departing back.  
  
* * * * *  
  
When Misty got to Ash, she found Tracey doing his best to wake Ash and he had a look of absolute panic on his face. Ash was lying unconscious in the yard and he was deathly pale which terrified Misty even more.  
  
"Ash! Are you okay? Wake up, honey. Please." Misty cried as she took Ash's hand.  
  
"Any response?" Tracey asked anxiously.  
  
"No. What exactly happened, Tracey?"  
  
"I really have no idea. One minute we had finished a friendly battle and were heading back inside and the next minute Ash had passed out and Pikachu took off to find you." Tracey said.  
  
"I wonder what would cause this to happen. I just hope that some help gets here soon." Misty thought as she and Tracey continued tending to Ash.  
  
* * * * *  
  
At the same time, Professor Oak was working on some research in the lab while he was waiting for Delia to return from shopping when a hysterical Pikachu burst in waving his little arms around and jumping up and down on the desk.  
  
"What are you doing here, Pikachu? Is something wrong?" Professor Oak asked, suddenly very concerned.  
  
"Pika. Pichukapika pikachu pi pika pi chu. Pikapi ka Pipichupipika pika pikachu pi pika Pikapi pi pikachu chu. Pika pika pi pikachu!" (Yes. Carla sent me to get you. Ash and Tracey were battling and then Ash just passed out. We need your help!) Pikachu shouted as he started pulling on the sleeve of Professor Oak's lab coat.  
  
"Oh, no. Lead the way, Pikachu. I'm right behind you." Professor Oak yelled and followed full speed behind Pikachu who took off out the door and through the grass.  
  
* * * * *  
  
As soon as Carla had called and gotten an ambulance on the way, she ran out into the back yard to see if there was anything she could do to help care for Ash until help arrived.  
  
"Hey, Carla. Did you call for an ambulance?" Misty asked as soon as she heard Carla approaching.  
  
"Yeah. They're on the way. I wonder what's taking Pikachu so long?" Carla said.  
  
"Pikachu's right here. Is Ash still out?" Professor Oak huffed as he followed Pikachu up the hill.  
  
"Yeah. He's been like this ever since he went down, Professor." Tracey managed to say.  
  
"Well, let's see. Ash's pulse is still fairly strong but it concerns me that he's so pale. I can't really see any physical reason as to why Ash collapsed so the problem might be internal. There's no way to tell exactly what happened until we can get Ash to a hospital so he can be examined thoroughly." Professor Oak said as they heard the sound of sirens and an ambulance roared into view.  
  
"Okay. Everyone stand back so we can get him loaded onto a stretcher." The paramedic said as he and his partner began preparing to transport Ash to the hospital. Misty walked beside them followed by Tracey and Carla. The three friends tried to all go with Ash in the ambulance but were stopped short.  
  
"I know you're all scared for your friend but there's only room for one other person in the ambulance other than me. The others will have to follow."  
  
"I'll go in the ambulance with Ash. He needs me with him right now." Misty said.  
  
"That's a good idea. He does need his wife now. Carla and I will follow in my car." Tracey assured her quietly.  
  
When Misty tried to get Pikachu to go with Tracey, the little Pokemon jumped onto the stretcher with Ash and shook his head furiously. Misty knew better than to question this so she left Pikachu alone and climbed into the ambulance with her husband.  
  
"What are you going to do, Professor?" Tracey asked as he and Carla were rushing to Tracey's car.  
  
"I'm going to go to back to the lab and see if Delia is back and if she isn't I'll wait on her. She needs to hear what happened to Ash and it'll be better for her to hear it from me. We'll head to the hospital from the lab.  
  
"Okay. See you later." Carla said as she closed her car door and Tracey took off behind the ambulance carrying Ash and Misty. 


	3. A Frightening Diagnosis

Chapter 3: A Frightening Diagnosis  
  
When the ambulance got to the hospital, Misty was very concerned about Ash's condition as the paramedics loaded him out of the ambulance and rushed him into the hospital. Misty was just about head inside with Pikachu to be with Ash when she heard Carla call out to her.  
  
"Hey, Misty. Wait for me!"  
  
"Carla. Thank you so much for following. Where's Tracey?" Misty asked as Carla hugged her.  
  
"He went to park the car. He said he'll meet us inside." Carla whispered as they hurriedly went inside to find Ash.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Once inside Misty was told that the doctors were in the process of running some tests on Ash so she would have to wait in the waiting room. The nurse promised to let Misty know as soon as she could see her husband.  
  
"Oh. I just realized something. Someone needs to call Brock and Angelica to let them know what's going on. He and Ash have been close ever since we were all pretty young." Misty gasped.  
  
"Do you want me to call them?" Carla offered.  
  
"No. It's my responsibility. You should stay here and wait on Tracey so that he knows where we are." Misty managed a weak smile as she turned and went to find a phone to call Brock.  
  
* * * * *  
  
At the Pewter City Gym, Brock and Angelica were just finishing having some lunch alone together. Brock's father was taking care of his brothers and sisters so Brock and Angelica could have a couple of days to themselves. Just as they were clearing the table where they had eaten the phone began ringing.  
  
"I guess someone needs to go answer that." Brock groaned.  
  
"You go ahead, hon. I'll finish up here." Angelica said, giving Brock a quick kiss as he went to answer the phone.  
  
"Pewter Gym, Brock here. Oh, hi Misty." Brock smiled as he answered the phone and realized who was calling.  
  
"Brock! Oh thank God I got you." Misty cried when Brock's image appeared on screen.  
  
Seeing the fear on Misty's face, Brock's smile faded. "What's up, Misty? Is something wrong?"  
  
"Yeah. It's Ash. He was having a battle with Tracey in our back yard and when they were coming to the house, Ash collapsed and we don't know why. They're running tests on him now so I don't know much else. We really need you Brock." Misty sobbed into the phone.  
  
"Wait a second. Misty, calm down and tell me where you guys are." Brock soothed as he tried to get as much information as he possibly could. Just then Angelica came up behind him and, catching the tension in Brock's voice and the look on Misty's face, became instantly worried. She stepped closer as Brock held a finger up to signal her to hold on as Misty spoke again.  
  
"We're at the hospital in Viridian City. Can you and Angelica get here?" Misty whispered.  
  
"We're on our way. We'll be there in about 45 minutes. See you soon. Hang in there, Misty." Brock said quickly as he cut the connection.  
  
"What's happened? What is it, Brock?" Angelica asked, suddenly very startled.  
  
"That was Misty. Ash collapsed after a battle with Tracey and they are running tests now to see if they can figure out what happened. Ash is at Viridian City Hospital and we really need to get there. Come on." Brock said, trying very hard not to panic.  
  
"Oh no. Let's get going then. We need to hurry." Angelica gasped as she and Brock ran out to the car, leaving everything just as it was.  
  
* * * * *  
  
While Misty was on the phone, Tracey had finally found a place to put his car and came running into the hospital. It didn't take him very long to find Carla but he was very confused to find that Misty wasn't with her.  
  
"Hey. Where's Misty?" Tracey asked.  
  
"Oh. She went to find a phone. She's going to call Brock and Angelica so they can know what's going on. She should be back soon." Carla said quietly.  
  
Just then Tracey caught sight of Misty. She had finished talking to Brock and when she saw him she hurried up to them.  
  
"Hey. There you are. Did you find a place to park your car?" Misty asked.  
  
"Yeah. It took me forever though. I never realized how many people there were at a hospital. Any word on Ash?" Tracey replied and as he talked he made sure he didn't meet Misty's eyes.  
  
About half an hour later, Brock and Angelica came running down the hallway in search of their friends. They were hoping that Misty had some news on Ash. Angelica was also worried about Brock because he had been hit hard when Misty had called them.  
  
"Misty!" Angelica cried out suddenly as she spotted their friend in the waiting room along with Tracey and Carla.  
  
"Brock! Angelica! I'm so glad you're here." Misty cried as she rushed forward to hug the two when they approached.  
  
"First of all, how's Ash? Do you have any news since you called us? Second, are you holding up okay?" Brock asked.  
  
"No one has told us anything about Ash's condition since we got here. I'm holding up alright but I wish someone would come tell me something. Those people are running tests on my husband and no one will tell me a thing." Misty was nearly hysterical with fear and anger.  
  
"Shh. It'll be okay, Misty. I'm sure someone will tell us something as soon as possible." Brock tried to reassure his long time friend and gave her a comforting hug.  
  
The words had just left Brock's mouth when a nurse approached them to give them an update on Ash's condition.  
  
"We've just finished running the tests on Ash and they've been sent to the lab to be read. We're moving Ash to a private room now. You can see him if you'd like." The nurse said to Misty, who was holding a nervous Pikachu in her arms.  
  
"Is Ash awake yet?" Tracey asked suddenly.  
  
"He did regain consciousness while we were running some of the tests but he was complaining of a little pain and he kept wanting to get up so the doctor gave him something to stop the pain as well as something to relax him and keep him still so he's sleeping right now."  
  
"I'm going to go to Ash. Come on, Pikachu." Misty said to her four friends as she took Pikachu and followed the nurse down the hallway to be with her husband.  
  
"You go ahead, Misty. Ash needs you now. We'll catch up to you in a little while." Carla said as Misty was leaving.  
  
* * * * *  
  
When the nurse left Misty outside Ash's room she stood there for a moment because she was afraid of what she might see. Pikachu noticed her fear and started nuzzling Misty's head.  
  
"Pi pika pikachu, Pikachupi?" (Are you okay, Misty?) Pikachu asked quietly.  
  
"I'm okay. I guess I'm just afraid, Pikachu." Misty reached up and patted Pikachu on the head.  
  
"Pika chu ka Pikachupi. Ka Pikapi pika pikachu." (I'm scared too Misty. But Ash needs us.) Pikachu whispered.  
  
"You're right. We do need to be with Ash. Let's go." Misty conceded as she opened the door to Ash's room and stepped inside.  
  
When Misty walked in the room she quietly approached the bed where Ash was sleeping and slowly took his hand. She had to move around very slowly and quietly so that Ash wouldn't be disturbed. Just then Misty felt Pikachu squirming nervously on her shoulder so she sat him gently on the bed and he walked up and sniffed Ash's still face.  
  
"Pikapi." (Ash.) Pikachu whispered sadly.  
  
Just then, Ash opened his eyes and blinked slowly taking in his surroundings. They were very unfamiliar except for the fact that Pikachu was sitting beside him on the bed where he was laying.  
  
"Misty?" Ash asked groggily, scanning the strange room in search of his wife.  
  
"I'm here, Ash." Misty whispered, once again reaching out and taking Ash's hand.  
  
"Where am I, Mist? What happened?" Ash was extremely confused.  
  
"You're in the hospital in Viridian City. After you and Tracey finished battling and were coming back to the house, you collapsed and passed out. When they first brought you here, the doctors ran some tests to figure out exactly why that happened. We should know more in a little while." Misty smiled a little and tried to be positive.  
  
"That explains a few things. I remember winning the battle with Tracey after having Pikachu use a Thundershock against Scyther." Ash paused for a moment and patted Pikachu's head. "Then after that I didn't remember anything until I came to earlier and was in some sort of lab or something. I was hurting a little and I was trying to leave and find you but someone gave me a couple of shots which took away the pain but caused me to black out again." Ash was still a little weak so his voice was barely above a whisper.  
  
"I know you must have been scared. We were scared for you." Misty tried to reassure her husband.  
  
"Hang on. What are you talking about 'we'?" Ash asked.  
  
"Tracey and Carla followed the ambulance here. Then when we got here I called Brock and Angelica and they got here just a few minutes ago. I figured that you needed all of the friends and family you can get right now." Misty explained.  
  
"Does my mom know what happened?"  
  
"Not yet. Professor Oak tried to help you after you collapsed and he mentioned to us that your mom was shopping. He said he's going to tell her as soon as she gets back. They'll probably get over here before too long."  
  
"I hope that Professor Oak breaks the news to her gently. You know how protective my mom can be." Ash pointed out weakly.  
  
"Don't talk to much right now. You need to keep up as much strength as possible. Try to rest now." Misty soothed.  
  
"That's probably a good idea. I don't understand why I'm so weak and tired. On top of that I'm still feeling the effects of whatever they gave me earlier and it's making me really groggy. But will you do me a favor, Mist?" Ash whispered.  
  
"Of course I will, hon. What is it?" Misty asked.  
  
"Will you stay here with me until I fall asleep. It's very comforting having you here."  
  
"Sure I will. I'm going to stay right here with you until you drop off and then I'll go give the others an update on how you're doing." Misty agreed quietly.  
  
"Pi pika chu pikachu pika, Pikapi." (I'm not going anywhere either, Ash.) Pikachu insisted.  
  
"Thanks Misty. I love you so much. Thank you too, Pikachu. You are such a loyal friend. I don't know what I would do without you guys." Ash smiled tiredly as his eyes began drooping slightly.  
  
"I love you too, Ash. Now close your eyes and get some rest." Misty whispered soothingly as she took Ash's hand in her own. Then she started to hum quietly as she remained by her husband's side.  
  
Misty's humming had a very calming effect on Ash and after a few minutes his eyes slid closed and his breaths became deeper. Misty felt Ash's grip on her hand loosen as he slid into sleep.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Meanwhile, back at the Oak laboratory, Professor Oak was pacing the floor trying to figure out how he was going to break the news to Delia that something had happened to Ash when the telephone ringing startled him out of his thoughts. As he went to answer the phone he was hoping in the back of his mind that it wasn't his wife. He was slightly relieved when it wasn't.  
  
"Hey Grandpa. What's going on there? How is everything?" Gary Oak asked when his grandfather's image appeared on the screen.  
  
"Gary, can I call you back tomorrow please? Now is really not a good time at all." Professor Oak answered, trying in vain to keep the worry he had for his stepson out of his voice.  
  
"What's the matter? Did something happen?" Gary frowned, concerned when he saw the expression of Professor Oak's face.  
  
"Yes. I suppose I should tell you, Gary. Ash is in the hospital in Viridian City. He collapsed earlier today in his yard while Tracey and Carla were over there visiting. He and Tracey had just finished having a Pokemon battle. I'm afraid that Ash may be ill."  
  
"What! Is Ash okay? Misty must be completely freaked out." Gary exclaimed as he let the knowledge sink in of what had happened. "I'm going to close the gym to battles for the rest of the day. I'm here in Viridian so I'm on my way over there right now. Ash and Misty both need all the support they can get. Wait, why aren't you there, Grandpa?"  
  
"I'm still at the lab because Delia is shopping and she doesn't have her cell phone with her. So I'm going to have to wait until she gets back so I can try to tell her what happened. Then we'll head over to the hospital too." Professor Oak explained.  
  
"Oh. That's a pretty good idea to wait on Delia. I'll see you two later. Give Delia my love and tell her that we won't let anything happen to Ash." Gary said quietly.  
  
"Bye Gary." Professor Oak said as the connection broke.  
  
No sooner had Professor Oak hung up with his grandson than he heard the door open to the lab as Delia returned from her shopping trip. He was overcome with nerves at the prospect of telling his wife that her child was in the hospital.  
  
"Sam! Honey, I'm home! Where are you?" Delia called as she walked in the door and dropped a few packages onto a table.  
  
"In the living room, Delia." Professor Oak called back as his wife came to him and found him sitting on the couch with his head in his hands.  
  
"Is something wrong, honey? Do you have one of your headaches again?" Delia asked. As she headed to the kitchen to try to get some aspirin, her husband caught her arm and stopped her short. She turned to him, suddenly very afraid.  
  
"Delia. Come over here and sit down sweetheart. I need to talk to you about something." Professor Oak said slowly, taking a deep breath as Delia sank down next to him.  
  
"What is it? What has got you so upset?"  
  
"Darling, something happened today while you were shopping. I was working on some research when Pikachu came running in hysterical telling me that something had happened over at Ash and Misty's." He began as Delia's eyes suddenly went wide. "So I went over there and found that Ash had collapsed in the front yard. I stayed with them until the ambulance arrived to take Ash to the hospital and then Misty and Pikachu went with him in the ambulance and Tracey and Carla, who were visiting them at the time, followed in Tracey's car while I came back here to wait on you."  
  
"Oh no. Sam, is Ash okay? Where did they take him?" Delia immediately panicked at hearing that her only son was in the hospital.  
  
"I don't know how Ash is because I haven't talked to Misty or Tracey since they left here. I do know that they took Ash to Viridian City Hospital. Come on, I'll take you to Ash." Professor Oak whispered to Delia who was crying in his arms.  
  
"Okay. Let's hurry. I need to be with my baby." Delia cried as they ran out the door and headed for Viridian City.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Back at the hospital, Tracey and Carla were sitting in the waiting room together waiting on Misty to return. Angelica had gone looking for a restroom and Brock was down in the cafeteria getting some drinks for them. Suddenly they heard a voice call to them.  
  
"Tracey! Carla!" Gary shouted as he hurried down the hall, followed closely by his Umbreon.  
  
"Gary? What are you doing here? How did you know that we were here in the first place?" Tracey asked confused.  
  
"I called the lab a little while ago and Grandpa told me about what happened. So I closed the gym to battles and posted it on the doors then I got Umbreon and came straight over here. How's Ash?"  
  
"We don't know how Ash is. They ran some tests on him when they first got him here. About 45 minutes ago a nurse said that they had moved Ash to a private room. Misty and Pikachu are with him now." Carla replied.  
  
"How's Misty holding up? Is she okay?" Gary inquired with concern.  
  
"She's really afraid. Actually she held up pretty good until Brock and Angelica got here earlier, then she broke down a little bit. I think she'll be a lot better after she spends some time with Ash." Tracey said.  
  
"I think so too. Hey, Gary. When did you get here?" Brock cut in. He had just arrived with some sodas and Angelica was standing at his side.  
  
"I just got here. I called my Grandpa earlier and he told me what happened to Ash so I got here as soon as I could."  
  
"Okay. Do you want something to drink? I got a couple of extra sodas?" Brock asked.  
  
"Yeah. Thanks." Gary smiled a little as he accepted the drink that Brock handed him.  
  
Just then Misty came down the hall and rejoined her friends. She walked up to Gary and looked at him with both appreciation and confusion in her eyes.  
  
"Hi, Gary. I assume Professor Oak told you what happened." Misty said.  
  
"Yeah. How are you holding up, Misty? How's Ash?" Gary asked with tension with his voice.  
  
"Ash is sleeping now. I'm so scared for him, Gary. He's been really tired lately but now he's so weak." Misty said as she started crying and allowed Gary to hug her.  
  
"Do you have any idea when they'll get those results back from the tests they ran?" Tracey asked.  
  
"I wish I did but I have no clue. Hopefully it won't be very long." Misty sighed.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Thirty minutes later, a young nurse came into the room and approached the worried group. They were hoping that she had some kind of news for them.  
  
"Excuse me. Are you Ash Ketchum's wife and friends?" She asked.  
  
"Yes. Is there any news?" Misty asked quickly.  
  
"Not yet I'm afraid. I came to tell you that Ash is awake now and is asking to see all of you."  
  
"Okay. Thank you very much." Misty hollered back over her shoulder as she and the others nearly trampled each other trying to be the first one out the door.  
  
As soon as they got to Ash's room, they walked in and saw him sitting up in the bed looking tense with Pikachu sitting on his lap. It was obvious that there was a reason Ash wanted to see them.  
  
"What's wrong, Ash? Are you okay?" Misty asked frightened as she went to Ash's side.  
  
"Nothing's wrong exactly. It's just that the doctor said he was on his way down to the lab and coming back to tell me the test results and I really wanted you guys to be here with me." Ash whispered and smiled as he noticed his long time friend and rival standing near the door. "Hi, Gary."  
  
"Hey, Ash. You feeling okay?"  
  
"A little better. I'm worried about the results of these tests though." Ash admitted.  
  
Ash cut his words short as he appeared to be looking at something behind Gary's left shoulder. The others turned around and the mood in the room was nervous and tense as they saw the doctor standing in the doorway with a serious expression on his face.  
  
* * * * *  
  
When Professor Oak and Delia got to the hospital they first went to the reception desk to find out what room Ash was in. Delia was terrified as she thought about her son being here.  
  
"Excuse me. Can you tell us what room Ash Ketchum is in?" Professor Oak asked the receptionist.  
  
"Are you friends or are you family?"  
  
"I'm his stepfather and this is his mother. We need to know where he is." Professor Oak answered snappishly as the receptionist keyed some information into her computer.  
  
"Okay, here it is. Ash is in room 314. You can take the elevator right over there." She gave them the information and pointed them to the correct elevator.  
  
"Thank you." Delia whispered as she and her husband dashed to the elevator.  
  
"I hope that Ash is okay. I'm so afraid." Delia said as they stepped into the elevator and punched the button for the third floor.  
  
"I know you're afraid sweetheart. I'm scared too. Let's be positive. There has to be some simple reason that Ash collapsed." Professor Oak soothed his wife, trying to reassure himself as well as Delia.  
  
* * * * * "Do you have the results of my tests, Dr. Adams?" Ash spoke first voicing the question that the others were scared to Ash.  
  
"Yes, I do. I'm afraid that the problem is more serious than we first thought." Dr. Adams said quietly.  
  
"What's wrong? How serious is it?" Misty choked out. Her knees were shaking so badly that Tracey and Brock had to support her as Gary placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Well I'm afraid that the reason that Ash has been lacking in energy lately as he told me and what caused him to collapse today is that his liver is weakening and it is making him very sick. I'm not sure why this is. It may be either a genetic problem or it may be because of an old injury. The best chance Ash has of making a full recovery is to have a transplant." Dr. Adams gave the diagnosis with a touch of sadness for he knew Ash rather well.  
  
"Pika." (No.) Pikachu whispered as he cuddled close to Ash.  
  
"I can't believe this is happening. Why does this have to happen to my family." Misty cried as Tracey got a chair under her as her legs gave out. The others were in too much shock to say anything.  
  
"What's going on here? Something's wrong isn't there?" Delia asked as she and Professor Oak stepped in from the hallway to the horrified looks on the faces of all present. 


	4. Feelings of Guilt

Chapter 4: Feelings of Guilt  
  
Delia and Professor Oak had just arrived after the doctor finished giving his diagnosis of Ash's condition. Now Delia was afraid because her son was sitting in a hospital bed looking pale and afraid, her daughter-in- law was sobbing in the corner and the others were looking on in total shock.  
  
"Will someone please tell us something?" Professor Oak demanded from where he stood at Delia's side.  
  
"Well." Dr. Adams began.  
  
"No. It's better than my mom and stepfather hear this from me. Thank you." Ash nodded to the doctor gratefully. "The tests they ran when I got here came out worse than anyone thought. Dr. Adams says that my liver is weakening and I need to get a transplant soon. That's why I've been so tired and sick lately."  
  
"Oh, God. How can this happen to Ash? Why?" Delia cried and buried her face in her husband's shoulder.  
  
"Actually, one of you may be able to help Ash. I can test each of you and if you prove to be a match for Ash, we can give him a partial liver transplant and it will regenerate into a whole one and the donor regenerates as well. We can test all of you tonight and I'll have the results in the morning." Dr. Adams explained.  
  
"Well let's go for it. Hopefully we can help. I think Ash and Misty need some time alone anyway. She can catch up later." Gary suggested as he and the others followed the doctor from the room, leaving Ash and Misty alone.  
  
"Oh, Ash. I can't believe that this is actually happening. I would do this for you if I could. You don't deserve this at all." Misty said shakily.  
  
"It's okay, love. You can't get rid of me that easily. I love you too much." Ash whispered soothingly as he pulled Misty to him and she sobbed into his chest. "Besides, if things go the way I'm hoping that they will, we may have a solution to this problem as soon as tomorrow."  
  
"I hope so." Misty cried.  
  
* * * * *  
  
About an hour later, the others had finished being tested to see if they could possibly be a match for a partial liver transplant for Ash and they had gone down to the cafeteria to try and get something to eat.  
  
"Tracey, are you okay?" Carla whispered as she noticed that he wasn't eating much and she knew he hadn't eaten since that afternoon.  
  
"Not really. But I don't want to talk about it right now." Tracey sighed. Carla just put her arm around him and laid her head on his shoulder, but decided not to push the issue.  
  
"I hope that one of us a match for Ash. He really needs to get better because he has a family and several Pokemon who really need him." Gary said.  
  
"Yeah. You're right. Hey, can I ask you a question, Gary?" Brock asked.  
  
"Sure. Go ahead."  
  
"Why did you come here when you heard about Ash? I always thought you two hated each other." Brock casually put the question.  
  
"No. We do have a strong rivalry but we don't hate each other at all. I've always thought of Ash like a brother and you should know how siblings bicker and have rivalry since you have raised all of your brothers and sisters. I'm doing what I've done today because I know that, even though Ash and I have had our share of arguments and disagreements, if the tables were turned then he would do the same for me." Gary explained as Brock nodded, clearly satisfied with this.  
  
"He certainly would. Ash's friends mean everything to him." Delia smiled as she took Gary by the hand momentarily.  
  
"Tracey, what's the matter? You don't look so good." Professor Oak quietly pointed out to his young assistant.  
  
"I'm fine, Professor. I just have a headache." Tracey lied.  
  
"You've had a long day. Ash's doctor set up the lounge across from his room for us tonight. Why don't you go and lie down for a while." Delia suggested.  
  
"That sounds like a pretty good idea. It may help me get rid of this headache." Tracey said as he got up and headed toward the door of the cafeteria.  
  
"I'll come with you." Carla chimed in as she took her leave as well and hurried off in Tracey's wake.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Once Tracey and Carla reached the lounge that Professor Oak had told them about, they realized that the hospital staff had gone out of their way to take care of all of them. There were several cots in the room for them to sleep on and some other things that they might need. All of this in a location where they would all be able to be near their friends in case they were needed for any reason.  
  
"Wow. They really do a good job of taking care of patients' friends and families around here." Carla observed.  
  
"Yeah." Tracey said.  
  
"Tracey, will you please tell me what's wrong now? It's obvious that something's got you down. I want to help but I can't unless you tell me what's bothering you." Carla whispered as she sat down next to Tracey on one of the cots.  
  
"Okay. I'll tell you what's bothering me. I feel responsible for Ash being here. If I hadn't agreed to have a battle with him this afternoon then he never would have collapsed. Misty told us that he wasn't feeling well, I should have known better." Tracey said as he put his head in his hands and cried.  
  
"Shh. Honey, it isn't your fault. Ash wanted to have a battle and you were just doing what he asked. You were both having a good time. There was absolutely no way you could have known that anything bad was going to happen. Don't blame yourself." Carla said soothingly as she pulled him into her arms and tried to comfort him.  
  
"When Ash went down I couldn't even do anything for him. I just stood there while Pikachu went for help." Tracey managed to choke out.  
  
Carla just sat at Tracey's side and held him close to her as he let out his emotions in her arms. She wished that she could convince Tracey that he wasn't at fault for what had happened and no one blamed him but all she could do was comfort him until he became exhausted and eventually cried himself to sleep. Then Carla laid him down on the cot and lay a blanket over him, never leaving his side as she dozed off at his side. Neither of them even heard Brock, Angelica and Gary come in and turn in for the night.  
  
About an hour later, Delia and Professor Oak came up from the cafeteria and decided to check on Ash before they tried to get some rest. Professor Oak cracked the door and peeked inside. He and Delia both smiled at what they saw. Ash was sound asleep and Misty was also sleeping with her head pillowed on his chest. Assured that the two were okay, they quietly pulled the door closed and walked across the hall and slid two of the cots together and went to bed, being very careful not to wake the five youths who were already sleeping there. 


	5. A Hero Emerges

Chapter 5: A Hero Emerges  
  
It was about 3 a.m. when Dr. Adams got the results from the tests on Ash's friends and family to see if any of them could possibly be a partial liver donor for him. He was hoping that they had found a match.  
  
"Here are the results on those blood tests you took earlier regarding one of your patients, doctor." The young nurse said.  
  
"Thank you. Now let's see what we have here. Hmm. Okay. Yes! I knew this was a good idea. We have a perfect match. One of Ash's friends is a match for a transplant for him. This is terrific. Exactly what I was hoping for." Dr. Adams exclaimed.  
  
"Should we tell them now?"  
  
"Not now. I'll tell them in the morning." Dr. Adams decided.  
  
"That is a good idea." The nurse smiled and disappeared down the hallway.  
  
"Tomorrow is going to be a great day." Dr. Adams smiled to himself as he went on with his rounds.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Gary woke up around 4:15 and couldn't get back to sleep so he decided to go and find a quiet place to think about things. As he was heading out the door, a soft prodding at his right leg drew his attention.  
  
"Umbreon." (Wait.) Gary's dark type Pokemon was following behind him, not wanting to be left behind.  
  
"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up Umbreon. I just needed to take a walk or something to think and clear my head. Wanna come with me?" Gary reached down and patted Umbreon's head.  
  
"Umbre." (Yeah.) Umbreon said quietly as he followed closely behind his trainer.  
  
"Thanks for coming this far Umbreon. I know this isn't much of a place for Pokemon. I really feel for Pikachu in this too. I know how he feels and how close he is to Ash because I've had you since you were an Eevee." Gary said.  
  
"Umbreon umbre." (I know.) Umbreon agreed sadly as he walked over to where Gary had sat down in the hallway and placed his head on Gary's leg.  
  
"What are you doing out here in the hall?" Tracey asked as he came up on Gary.  
  
"I could ask you the same question. Couldn't sleep either, huh?" Gary whispered.  
  
"Nah. I had way too much on my mind. This thing with Ash is really weighing on me." Tracey said.  
  
"Yeah." Gary hung his head a little. "Me, too."  
  
"Is something wrong, Tracey? Seems like there's something else on your mind than just Ash's situation." Gary pressed.  
  
"Well, you're partly right. Actually what's been on my mind since we got here has something to do with Ash's situation." Tracey sighed.  
  
"What are you talking about? I don't get it." Gary asked, clearly confused.  
  
"I mean that I feel responsible for Ash's being here in the hospital. If I hadn't agreed to battle him then he wouldn't have overexerted himself and he never would have passed out. I just can't get this guilt out of my head." Tracey whispered.  
  
"Why do you feel like that? You didn't make Ash have a weak liver. His being sick has nothing to do with you guys having a battle this afternoon." Gary sounded shocked.  
  
"I don't know why I feel guilty but I do know that it's a very sickening feeling. To think I may be even a little responsible for this." Tracey shook his head.  
  
"Tracey, let me tell you something. If you were responsible for anything, you were responsible for possibly saving Ash's life. If Ash hadn't collapsed and been brought here, no one would have known about the problem and it would have eventually killed him." Gary insisted.  
  
"Yeah. I guess I never thought about that. Thanks, Gary." Tracey smiled as he clapped Gary on the back.  
  
"No problem. Sometimes when bad things happen it's hard to think about all sides of a situation." Gary smiled in return.  
  
"You know something? I really believe that you aren't all bad like you kept wanting everyone to believe. The person I'm talking to isn't the same Gary that kept harassing Ash all the time." Tracey commented.  
  
"Well I was dumb and arrogant back then. I've changed a whole lot since then."  
  
"Hey, why don't we get back to the others. By now someone's probably realized we left and they might be looking for us." Tracey suggested as he started down the hall.  
  
"Good idea. Come on Umbreon." Gary replied as he went down the hallway after Tracey, his Pokemon at his side.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Back in the lounge, Carla woke up and was slightly alarmed to find Tracey was gone. She knew that he had been upset the night before and she figured he must have gone for a walk but it startled her because she didn't know where he was.  
  
"I wonder where Tracey went." Carla whispered to herself.  
  
A little while later, the others woke up and it soon became obvious that Carla was concerned about something.  
  
"Hey, Carla. Is something on your mind? You've been really quiet this morning." Delia asked.  
  
"I'm okay I guess. It's just that I can't figure out where Tracey is. He was gone when I woke up about fifteen minutes ago and he hasn't come back yet. He was a little upset last night after everything that's happened and it worries me." Carla admitted.  
  
"Well, now that you mention it I don't see Gary around here either. He must have left for something because his Umbreon is gone too." Professor Oak observed.  
  
"So that's probably your answer, Carla. If Tracey is gone and so is Gary it's probably safe to assume that they're in the same place." Brock deducted.  
  
"Yeah, Brock's right. They're probably together someplace." Angelica agreed.  
  
Less than a minute later, Tracey and Gary came walking into the room and were greeted happily by their friends who were obviously wondering where they had been.  
  
"Hey, everybody." Gary said.  
  
"Where have you guys been?" Carla asked, going to Tracey's side and hugging him.  
  
"I couldn't get back to sleep earlier so I went into the hall to find a quiet place to think and Tracey ended up running into me a few minutes later and we were talking and lost track of time." Gary explained.  
  
"Yeah. I'm sorry, sweetheart. I really didn't mean to scare you or upset you." Tracey whispered as he pulled Carla to him and kissed her lightly.  
  
"I figured you were around here somewhere but it alarmed me because you got so upset last night. I wasn't as worried when Professor Oak realized that Gary wasn't here either and Brock guessed that you guys might have been together." Carla replied as she leaned into Tracey's arms.  
  
"Hey, is anyone else hungry?" Brock asked.  
  
"Yeah. I have an idea. Why don't we go and get something to eat and then we'll look in on Ash and Misty." Professor Oak suggested.  
  
"I'm for that. Let's go." Delia agreed as she followed her husband out followed by the others.  
  
* * * * *  
  
In the hospital room where she had spent the night, Misty woke and realized that she had fallen asleep by Ash's side. She stood up and stretched out her back that was a little stiff from sleeping in a chair all night. Then she sat back down in the chair next to the bed where Ash was still sleeping. Misty managed a small smile when she saw this because when he was asleep Ash seemed at peace with the whole situation that he was facing.  
  
"No. He's not facing this thing alone. We're going to face it together." Misty quietly corrected herself as she took Ash's hand.  
  
Just then, Ash stirred and slowly opened his eyes. When he noticed that Misty was sitting beside him and Pikachu was sleeping near his head, Ash smiled.  
  
"Hi." Ash whispered.  
  
"Good morning. You look like you slept okay. I didn't wake you, did I?" Misty smiled.  
  
"No, you didn't wake me. Actually I did sleep okay seeing where we are. You haven't left since last night, have you?" Ash wondered.  
  
"Of course I haven't. After all you went through yesterday a herd of wild Tauros couldn't have dragged me away. I knew that you needed me. I love you more than anything and as long as I have control of the situation I will not leave your side." Misty answered with determination in her voice.  
  
"I love you so much, Misty. It means a lot to me that you're here because I know it isn't easy for you. I know that hospitals freak you out quite a bit." Ash kissed his wife's hand and looked into Misty's blue eyes.  
  
"You're right but the only thing on my mind right now is being here for you." Misty forced herself to smile through her fear as she hugged Ash to her.  
  
"Pika pika, Pikapi." (Good morning, Ash.) Pikachu said as he woke up and climbed into Ash's lap.  
  
"Hey, Pikachu. What did I do to deserve such a great Pokemon? Being late to get my first Pokemon was the best thing I ever did." Ash said quietly as Misty looked on.  
  
"Pi pika Pikachu chu pika pi pika pi." (You deserve me because you are a super trainer.) Pikachu replied as he jumped into Ash's arms for a big hug.  
  
A few minutes later, Dr. Adams walked into the room and smiled at the couple. Ash and Misty could both tell by the look on the doctor's face that the news he had for them was good.  
  
"Hello, Ash. Hi, Misty. How are you feeling this morning, Ash?" Dr. Adams asked as he approached Ash's bed, shaking his hand and patting Pikachu.  
  
"I'm feeling a lot better this morning, thanks." Ash smiled.  
  
"You were smiling about something when you came in. Does it have anything to do with the tests you ran yesterday to see if any of us is a match for Ash?" Misty asked hopefully.  
  
"Actually, yes it does. You don't miss anything, do you?" Dr. Adams laughed a little.  
  
"Not that I know of. So what did you find out?" Misty asked again.  
  
"Well, I do have some good news. Would you like to have your friends here before I tell you the results?" Dr. Adams offered and Ash nodded.  
  
"I'll go get them." Misty offered. "Do you know where they are, Dr. Adams?"  
  
"Yes. I saw them heading down to the cafeteria a few minutes ago."  
  
"Thanks." Misty called over her shoulder as she took off running out the door and down the hallway.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Down in the cafeteria, the small group had just finished getting something to eat when Tracey happened to catch a glimpse of something, or rather someone, running down the hall.  
  
"Hey, there's Misty." Tracey said.  
  
"Misty! We're over here!" Gary called out.  
  
"Oh. I'm really glad I found you. Come back to Ash's room with me right now. It's important." Misty exclaimed breathlessly.  
  
"Why? What's wrong, Misty?" Delia asked terrified as Professor Oak clutched her hand.  
  
"Dr. Adams has the results now and he says its good news and Ash wants to have all of us there." Misty beamed hopefully.  
  
"Great! Let's go." Brock said as they all dashed after Misty back to Ash's room.  
  
Once they all got back to Ash's room and Ash laughed as he saw them all try to squeeze in the small door at the same time which resulted in their falling through and ending up in a pile on the floor.  
  
"If you guys don't be careful I'll have more than just one patient." Dr. Adams quipped as the other picked themselves up off of the floor.  
  
"What are the results? Do we have a match for Ash?" Professor Oak voiced the question that Delia was afraid to ask.  
  
"As a matter of fact, we do. We have a perfect match who can be a partial donor for Ash if they are willing." Dr. Adams smiled.  
  
"Pika!" (Yeah!) Pikachu cried as he happily jumped up and down on the bed.  
  
"Thank God. We have a good chance to get through this." Misty sighed as she sat on the edge of the bed.  
  
"So who's a match?" Gary spoke up.  
  
"Well, this person has to be brave enough to step up to the plate and take a slight risk and make a sacrifice. This will be a very heroic move." Dr. Adams paused and turned to look straight at Brock. "So what do you think, son? Are you up for being a hero."  
  
"Am I a match for Ash?" Brock asked in shock.  
  
"Yes. You were the only one who matched him. So are you willing to be a partial donor for your friend." Dr. Adams asked again.  
  
"Yeah. Let's do it. I'll do anything it takes to get Ash back to 100% as soon as possible." Brock said without hesitation.  
  
"Thanks Brock. I really appreciate your willingness to do this." Ash said as he smiled at his long time friend.  
  
"I agree. We'll never forget this, Brock." Misty cried as she gave Brock a hug.  
  
"Great. We can go ahead with this tomorrow morning. That way you can both have today to prepare for everything." Dr. Adams said.  
  
"Sounds like a plan. But can I ask one favor, Dr. Adams?" Ash asked.  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Well, I was wondering if it would be possible since I'm feeling fine for me to go home for today and spend today with my wife and the rest of my family and friends? Then we can come back in the morning and get the ball rolling. This means a lot to me." Ash was sounding very hopeful.  
  
"Since you seem much better than when you were brought in yesterday I don't see why not. It couldn't hurt anything." Dr. Adams smiled as he rang for a nurse to come and prepare Ash to be released.  
  
A short time later, Ash was ready to leave the hospital and they all went to Ash and Misty's to spend some time with all of them together as they prepared for the partial donation and transplant that Ash and Brock were going to be going through the next day. The outlook was suddenly much brighter than it had 24 hours earlier. 


	6. An Evening With Friends

Chapter 6: An Evening With Friends  
  
Once Ash had been discharged from the hospital, they all left to go back to Pallet Town. Since they didn't have a car considering the circumstances, Ash and Misty were riding back with Tracey and Carla. Gary was coming back with them and had caught a ride with his grandfather and Delia and Brock and Angelica were following on their own.  
  
There was quite a bit of conversation in Tracey's car on the ride back to try to lighten the mood of the situation and what was to come. After a few minutes Ash realized that Tracey was awkwardly quiet and this finally concerned him enough that he decided to say something about it.  
  
"Tracey, are you okay? You've hardly said a word since we left the hospital and it's not like you at all to be so quiet. Is something on your mind?" Ash asked, with concern in his voice.  
  
"Not really. I guess I just don't have a lot to say." Tracey began. When he got a look that said Ash didn't believe him, he decided to continue. "Well, maybe this whole thing is creeping me out a little because I was with you when you collapsed and were brought to the hospital. I don't know. It just feels weird I guess."  
  
"I don't understand why you feel like that. If it hadn't been for you things wouldn't have turned out as good as they did. I had no idea that I had any health problems at all until yesterday. When we battled and I collapsed I figured out that I have a weak liver. If that hadn't happened I would never have known. I owe that to you and I am very grateful to you for it." Ash smiled.  
  
"I guess." Tracey sighed.  
  
"Ash's absolutely right, Tracey. If it hadn't been for you we might not have found out about any of this until it was too late. Brock isn't the only hero in this story. You're a hero as well." Misty said.  
  
"Pi pika pikachu, Pipichupipika." (That's right, Tracey.) Pikachu agreed.  
  
"Thanks. I feel a little better now. You never stop amazing me, Ash. Here you are in the situation you're in, and you are more worried about making me stop feeling worried or guilty or whatever it is I felt." Tracey smiled as Carla took his free hand.  
  
"The thing that means the most to me is to be able to spend time with all of you guys tonight. I have one night before all of this starts and I'm just glad to get to spend it with the people who mean the world to me." Ash said quietly as Pikachu climbed into his lap.  
  
"We're glad to get to spend time with you. I haven't known you as long as Tracey has but in the time I have known you I understand why Tracey admires you so much. I hope this whole thing turns out perfectly for everyone involved." Carla said.  
  
"Nobody hopes for that more than I do." Misty whispered to herself as they pulled into their driveway.  
  
* * * * *  
  
A little while later they were all sitting in the living room just enjoying each other's company. Professor Oak had taken the liberty of ordering a pizza for them and they were waiting for their dinner to arrive.  
  
"Thanks for paying for dinner, Professor." Ash said. He had never gotten used to calling Professor Oak dad and the older man didn't really mind.  
  
"It's the least I can do, Ash. I just want to make sure you know that your mother and I will stand by you through this whole situation."  
  
"I know all of you will. That's why it means so much to me to have everyone here. I can't think of any other way to spend this evening." Ash announced as he and Brock exchanged a quick glance.  
  
"Hey, I hear the door. The food's here." Angelica announced as Delia got up and went to answer the door.  
  
"I want to make a toast." Ash said as soon as they were ready to eat.  
  
"Go ahead, sweetheart. We're listening." Misty urged.  
  
"Okay. I want to toast my two closest friends, Brock and Tracey, both of whom are responsible for saving my life. You're both always going to be heroes in my eyes. Also I want to toast my beautiful wife, Misty. You will always be my pillar of strength no matter what I happen to be facing. Marrying you was the smartest thing I ever did. Thanks for always staying by my side even when I made stupid mistakes."  
  
By the time Ash was finished there wasn't a dry eye in the room because of the touching things that he had said. After a few moments it was time for another member of the group to speak up.  
  
"Okay. Now its my turn." Brock said.  
  
"Go on, Brocko. What have you got to say?" Ash whispered.  
  
"A toast to Ash. One of the strongest people I've ever known." Brock cleared his throat before continuing. "In all the time that I've known you, you've never failed to inspire me. No matter what adversities you were facing or whatever was standing in the way of what you were after, you never gave up. You kept going even when things seemed hopeless. I have a lot of siblings but when you and I met not only did I gain a best friend, I gained an extra brother. If I had the whole thing to do over again, I wouldn't do anything different. I hope that this works out so you can have the long life that you deserve to inspire many more people who need it."  
  
"Whoa. That was pretty powerful." Misty gasped.  
  
"She's right. Thanks Brock." Ash smiled.  
  
"Okay. Let's eat now." Gary said, getting a laugh from everyone at the table.  
  
After they had finished eating the pizza, they were in the living room playing Twister. This was Tracey's idea to get everyone's mind off of everything. Since Professor Oak had opted not to actually play, he was acting as official spinner.  
  
"Okay. Ash, you go first." Professor Oak whirled the spinner. "Left foot, red."  
  
"I'm next." Brock called out.  
  
"Here we go. Brock, left hand on green." Professor Oak said.  
  
"My turn." Misty said.  
  
"Let's see if we can get a good one for Misty. Okay. Right hand, yellow."  
  
"Spin one for me, Grandpa!" Gary exclaimed.  
  
"Sure. Gary, this one's yours. Right foot, blue."  
  
"Cool. I want to go next." Tracey called.  
  
"Sounds good. Okay, Tracey. Let's see if you can handle this. Right hand, green."  
  
"Ha! My turn." Carla laughed.  
  
"All right. Carla, left hand goes to yellow."  
  
"Last but not least, me!" Angelica shouted.  
  
"Angelica, right foot on red."  
  
Delia had decided not to play Twister either but she had gotten the camcorder out of the closet that she had given to Ash and Misty not long after they got married and was videoing the game.  
  
"Round two coming up." Professor Oak said.  
  
"Let's get to it. I'm ready." Ash proclaimed.  
  
"Okay. Here it comes. Right hand, green."  
  
"Uh, oh." Misty said.  
  
"Hmm. Let's see how I do. Lay it on me." Brock joked.  
  
"If I were you I wouldn't joke Brock. Right foot, red."  
  
"Give me one." Misty smiled.  
  
"Misty, what have we got for you. Oh this is good. Left hand, green."  
  
"Try to stump me!" Gary laughed.  
  
"It looks like luck is with you, Gary. Left foot, red."  
  
"Send one my way, Professor." Tracey said.  
  
"I can do that. Tracey, left hand on red."  
  
"Oh, no!" Tracey exclaimed. When he had gone for the red dot he had gotten tangled up with Ash and they both fell into Brock which in turn created a domino effect that sent all seven of them tumbling to the mat laughing.  
  
"Sorry." Tracey said.  
  
"It's okay. That was fun." Ash laughed.  
  
"This was a very good idea. We should get together and do these kind of things more often." Brock said.  
  
"That's right." Angelica smiled.  
  
"Hey, what do you guys want to do now?" Carla asked.  
  
"I'm not sure. I guess we can play a card game or something." Misty suggested.  
  
"Sounds like a good idea to me. We can play one or two games of cards and then we have to run. We're going to have to be back at the hospital early tomorrow." Brock said.  
  
"You don't need to drive all the way back to Pewter and then come all the way back in the morning. We have a guest room so you can stay here with us. That way you guys don't have to waste the gas and the energy. Besides, it'll be nice having you and Angelica stay with us. It'd be just like old times plus one." Ash laughed.  
  
"We don't want to inconvenience you. You guys have enough to deal with right now without worrying about having us in your hair." Angelica protested.  
  
"You aren't an inconvenience at all. We have plenty of space here and our friends are always welcome here at any time, no matter what. It's totally ridiculous to think that you and Brock would be a worry." Misty corrected her.  
  
"Okay. That's enough. Brock, you and Angelica will stay here with us. It would be better that way for both of us. Besides, this is the least I can do for you after what you're doing for me." Ash insisted.  
  
"All right. We'll stay here tonight." Brock agreed.  
  
"Hey. Are we going to play cards of sit here and listen to you guys argue all night about who's going to stay where?" Gary asked.  
  
"You've got a point. So what game do you guys want to play?" Tracey cut in to keep another argument from breaking out.  
  
"Hey, I've got a good idea. I haven't played this one in a long time but it was always one of my favorites. Why don't we play Old Maid." Delia suggested.  
  
"Sure." The others said in unison.  
  
"Okay. I kept some cards in the closet of my old bedroom. Can you go get them, Ash?" Delia asked.  
  
"Sure can." Ash announced and disappeared up the stairs. A moment later he returned with the cards in hand.  
  
The crazy card games continued until about 10:30, at which time the Oaks and their party decided it was time to take their leave.  
  
"We're going to have to run now. Thanks for letting us come over this evening. It was fun and a good way to distract ourselves from everything." Professor Oak said.  
  
"You don't have to leave." Ash protested.  
  
"Yes we do honey. It's late and you guys need to rest up for tomorrow." Delia reasoned with a smile.  
  
"Okay. If you have to go." Ash agreed as he walked his mother and stepfather to the front door, followed by the others.  
  
"We'll see you tomorrow morning, mom." Misty smiled as she gave her mother-in-law a quick hug.  
  
"You can bet on it." Professor Oak said as he helped his wife with her coat. "Gary, Tracey, Carla are you guys coming back with us now?"  
  
"Take Delia and go ahead back to the lab, Grandpa. We'll be right there. I'll catch a ride with Tracey." Gary shook his head.  
  
"Yeah. Give us a few minutes, Professor. We won't be long." Tracey agreed.  
  
"Okay. We'll meet you back at the lab in a little bit." Professor Oak smiled, understanding why they wanted to stay a few extra minutes. Then, after saying goodbye to Ash and Misty, he helped his wife into their car and drove back to the lab.  
  
Once the couple had disappeared from view, the others walked back in the house to talk where they could be out of the cold. It was the middle of October and it was very chilly outside. After a moment, Ash thought of something that he needed to ask Tracey.  
  
"Tracey, will you come with me for a minute? I need to ask you about something privately." Ash asked quietly.  
  
"Sure." Tracey said as he followed Ash into the kitchen while the other five looking at each other in confusion.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"What's on your mind, Ash?" Tracey asked as he sat at the kitchen table across from his friend.  
  
"I wanted to ask you if you would mind doing a favor for me tomorrow." Ash explained.  
  
"Of course I will. I'll do anything to make this as easy for you as possible. Just name it." Tracey replied without having to consider.  
  
"I was hoping you'd say that because this is very important to me. What I'm going to need you to do for me is this one thing. Tomorrow when they start to prep me I really need you to be in the room too so you can be there for Misty. I'll talk to Dr. Adams to make sure they don't try to throw you out. Can you do that?" Ash asked.  
  
"I'll do it. But there's one thing that I don't understand, Ash. Why do I need to be there for Misty? She's a strong woman." Tracey said.  
  
"Well, it's kind of a complicated thing. Misty has what I guess you might call a phobia in that she is deathly afraid of needles. The reason I want you to be a support is that her fear is so intense that if she even sees a needle she nearly freaks out. It doesn't even have to have anything to do with her." Ash explained as Tracey nodded in understanding. "But I need you to promise me that you won't tell Misty that I told you about this. It is a hard thing for her and if she knew she would get very upset with me. That's why I wanted to talk to you privately instead of in the living room with the others. I'll get around this by telling Misty that I wanted you around for moral support so she won't be as afraid."  
  
"I see. You have my word that I won't tell Misty what we've just talked about. Also, you can count on me to take care of Misty and Pikachu while they're fixing you up." Tracey smiled.  
  
"Thanks, Tracey. I really appreciate it. Let's get back in the living room. Everyone's probably wondering where we went." Ash said with a breath of relief as he clapped Tracey on the back.  
  
* * * * *  
  
When Ash and Tracey emerged back into the living room to join the others it was obvious that they had been having their private conference a little too long as they were met with questions of their whereabouts.  
  
"You sure took a long time." Misty said.  
  
"What were you guys talking about?" Carla asked.  
  
"Yeah. We were about to send a search party after you two." Brock joked good naturedly.  
  
"It's really nothing major. I just needed to talk to Tracey about something regarding tomorrow." Ash explained and was relieved when his wife and friends all seemed to accept his reasoning.  
  
"Hey, I really hate to say this but we're going to have to run. It's getting pretty late and you guys need to rest up for tomorrow and so do we. Exhausted friends don't make for much of a support beam." Gary said.  
  
"I really appreciate you sticking around for this long and all of your support, Gary. I know that you and I haven't always gotten along but we were close when we were younger and it means a lot to me that we seem to be getting that back. Your friendship has always been important." Ash smiled at his former rival.  
  
"I can't very well turn my back on you when it's the most vital. You've always been like a brother to me no matter how hard we fought. I think that even though we were rivals before we both became Pokemon masters we kept each other going. We were always trying to outdo each other and in always comparing to each other we both got better. We guided each other to our common dream so I'm not turning a cold shoulder now when you need help again to keep your spirits up." Gary said quietly.  
  
"That really means a lot to me. Thanks, Gary." Ash stepped forward and hugged Gary. The two boys stood there embracing each other for a long moment and then broke and shook hands firmly.  
  
"I hate to break the mood but Gary's right. We do need to go. You guys take it easy and we'll see you tomorrow morning early." Tracey pointed out as he took Carla's hand and they began gathering their coats.  
  
"Okay. We'll walk you out." Misty smiled.  
  
* * * * *  
  
After the others were gone, Ash, Misty, Brock and Angelica went into the living room and sat around the fireplace talking and enjoy the warmth of the fire's glow.  
  
"Is anyone else thirsty?" Misty asked.  
  
"Yeah. I am." Ash said.  
  
"Me too." Brock smiled.  
  
"So am I." Angelica agreed.  
  
"Good because I was just thinking that some hot chocolate would be perfect for a cold night around the fireplace. I have some in the kitchen so I'll go make some." Misty announced.  
  
"That is perfect. I'd really love that because we only have two hours left where we can eat or drink anything." Ash countered enthusiastically and Brock and Angelica both nodded.  
  
A few minutes later Misty returned with four cups of hot chocolate and when she came in from the kitchen Ash immediately got up and went to help her. Ash smiled as he realized why Misty had made this. She knew that hot chocolate was Ash's favorite thing to drink and thought that it would be a good thing to make for him.  
  
The friends sat around the fire talking for another hour and then they all decided that it was time to turn in for the night. Misty had also been right that having something to drink and the warm fire would be very relaxing.  
  
"I think it's time for us to get some sleep. We have a really early day tomorrow." Ash yawned as he stood up.  
  
"Yeah. Let's go up and we can get you guys settled into the guest room and try to find you something to sleep in." Misty agreed as Ash helped her to her feet.  
  
Once Misty had found something for their guests to sleep in, she made sure that the guest room was set up good for them which it of course was. Then she and Ash said goodnight to Brock and Angelica, making sure that they were comfortable before turning in for the night themselves.  
  
* * * * *  
  
In their bedroom, Ash and Misty were lying in bed talking about everything that had happened. They were also looking back on things in their relationship.  
  
"I can't believe that this is happening to you. I always thought that when you and I got married things would be perfect for life with no flaws whatsoever." Misty whispered, laying her head on Ash's shoulder.  
  
"Well I did too but you know as well as I do that there's really no such thing as permanent perfection. We all have some hurdles that we have to get over at some point in our lives. That's what makes us stronger. But I can promise you this. I am going to come through this situation all right and things will be fine." Ash was trying to reassure his wife of something that he wasn't entirely sure of himself.  
  
"I hope you're right. But right now you need to try to get some sleep. You have a very long day tomorrow." Misty whispered.  
  
"That's a very good idea. I'm very tired. It's been a very long day." Ash said as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax. A few minutes later he was sound asleep with Pikachu on the pillow near his head and Misty lying next to him.  
  
For several minutes, Misty lay by her husband's side in a way keeping watch over him. This entire situation tore her heart out because she had loved Ash ever since they were kids traveling together with Brock on an exciting Pokemon journey and she still loved him more than anything.  
  
"You have to come out on top of this thing, Ash. I refuse to let anything happen to you. I'm not going to lose my entire world. I love you so much sweetheart." Misty said very quietly.  
  
Then a small smile broke across Misty's face as she noticed Ash's peaceful expression. It occurred to her that right now was a time that he could have some peace and not have to worry about the risky scenario that was coming up in the morning. She then laid her head on Ash's chest and fell asleep to the rhythm of her husband's heartbeat.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Angelica had so much on her mind that she couldn't sleep. She was still very worried about Brock. She was also concerned about Ash and Misty. In less than twelve hours they were going to be facing a serious situation that was going to change all of their lives in dramatic ways. No matter how hard she tried Angelica just could not get it out of her head.  
  
"Hey. You okay? You look a world away." Brock's voice cut into her thoughts and caused her to smile in spite of fear.  
  
"I guess. I was thinking about Ash and Misty and what they must be going through. Also I was thinking about you. You are a hero for what you're doing and I am extremely proud of you. I want to make sure you know that you aren't going to be in this alone. You have a family that adores you and friends that think the world of you. Not to mention that I'm going to stand by you through all of this. I'm not going to leave your side." Angelica whispered.  
  
"I know you'll be there. You don't know what that means to hear that, though. I don't want you to worry, hon. Everything is going to be just fine. You need to remember that you have a pretty strong support beam too. If things seem to be weighing to heavy on you, simply remember how much I love you and even though I won't be able to, my love will lift the burden off of you." Brock told her sleepily. Then he pulled her into his arms and Angelica rested her head on his shoulder, allowing his strength to comfort her fears.  
  
As Brock held Angelica in his arms comforting her, he was also allowing her calming presence to comfort him. She had calmed down considerably and her initial trembling had stopped. Brock certainly understood how Angelica felt because the fears that she had were ones that he had himself though he hadn't been willing to speak them.  
  
Brock was snapped out of his thoughts as he felt Angelica's soft breath on his neck. He very carefully turned his head to see that she had fallen asleep in his embrace. He kissed his girlfriend on the head and then settled into a comfortable position and rested his head on the pillow. Brock adjusted the blanket over himself and Angelica and then closed his eyes and drifted into an uneasy sleep.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Four hours later, Angelica woke terrified and shaking. She'd had a terrible nightmare that something had happened in the process of the partial transplant and Brock hadn't survived. Angelica tried to sit up but stopped when she felt a strong arm around her. She turned on her side and watched Brock sleeping beside her and lay there listening to the steady rhythm of his deep breathing. Then she reached over and rested her hand on Brock's chest and was comforted by the feel of his strong heartbeat under her palm. In spite of her slight calm, Angelica still had a very bad feeling about the next day's events that she couldn't shake no matter how hard she tried. As she reached up and gently smoothed Brock's spiky dark hair, she hoped with all of her being that she was wrong. 


	7. A Date With Destiny

Chapter 7: A Date With Destiny  
  
The next morning at about 4:00, Misty got up and went into the kitchen to get something to drink. When she did she was surprised to find Angelica sitting outside on the patio in the frigid night air. Quietly, Misty walked out and approached her friend.  
  
"Angelica? What are you doing outside? It's freezing out here." Misty whispered.  
  
"Oh. Misty. I came outside trying to clear my mind but all I've managed to do was lose all feeling to my hands." Angelica said with a small smile.  
  
"Well, why don't we go back inside and have some tea to warm ourselves up and we can talk about it. I think I might know what's on your mind and I'd like to try and help." Misty smiled as she and Angelica walked back into the warm kitchen.  
  
Angelica went to sit at the table and put her head in her hands and Misty came and sat across from her and poured some tea for them. It was making Misty nervous to see Angelica so freaked out and she hoped that she could help her for the sake of both of them.  
  
"Are you okay? What's got you so upset?" Misty asked as she placed a comforting hand on Angelica's arm.  
  
"I just wish that none of this would have happened. I'm scared to death for both Ash and Brock. I know I really shouldn't tell you this but I have a very bad feeling about this thing. It probably sounds ridiculous but I had a dream about it. I've never been this scared before in my life." Angelica admitted.  
  
"I know how you feel. I'm scared too. I think the reason that you have a bad feeling about it is because of what the situation is. I'm sure that everything is going to turn out all right. We have to believe that it will." Misty said reassuringly.  
  
Just then Brock peeked his head into the kitchen and saw the two women sitting at the table talking. As soon as Angelica saw Brock she got up and went to him and put her arms around him.  
  
"What were you ladies talking about? I was a little worried when I woke up and found that you were gone." Brock whispered.  
  
"Misty and I were just keeping each other company and having some tea. When she came down here and found me here. Actually I was sitting out on the patio. I was thinking and trying to clear thousands of thoughts out of my mind. If she hadn't convinced me to come inside, I might have turned into a Popsicle." Angelica smirked cutely.  
  
"I love you. That is the most important thing that I want you to promise me that you'll keep with you during all this. If you remember that I love you more than life then even when I'm not physically by your side, you'll be able to feel my arms around you." Brock smiled, trying to comfort Angelica.  
  
"I promise I will never forget your love. I will keep it with me." Angelica promised.  
  
"Hey, guys. I hate to destroy the moment but it's time to leave soon. I'm going to go and wake up Ash while you guys get ready." Misty interrupted.  
  
* * * * *  
  
In the bedroom, Misty had the hard task of awakening her sleeping husband. She hated to do it because he would be removed from his escape from reality but she knew she had to. Misty reached down and gently shook Ash's shoulder and bent over to give him a small kiss. Slowly, Ash's eyes opened and he looked into the loving face of his wife.  
  
"Morning sweetheart." Ash yawned sleepily.  
  
"Hey." Misty smiled.  
  
"Are you ready for today?" Ash asked finally.  
  
"I guess. I don't really have that much of a choice. Either swallow my fear or possibly lose my husband. If I have to face my worst fears then I will if it means getting you better." Misty whispered as Ash gathered her into his arms and held her close.  
  
"We really need to get ready to head to the hospital. I know this is going to be hard on you but think of it this way, the sooner we get started the sooner it gets over with and things get back to normal." Ash tried to reassure Misty as he got dressed and they headed downstairs.  
  
A few minutes later, the two couples were ready to leave for the hospital. The mood was one of extreme tension at the impending situation but also of gratitude for Brock's willingness to be a hero and come through for Ash.  
  
* * * * *  
  
At the same time at the Oak lab, Delia was sitting in the living room waiting for her husband to get ready. It still hadn't hit her fully what was going to be happening to her only child. Just then a soft voice jolted her from her thoughts.  
  
"Hey. You look a little hungry, Delia. Here take this. Carla made these muffins earlier and I saved you one." Gary said quietly.  
  
"Thank you dear. I suppose I am hungry." Delia smiled at her step grandson with appreciation.  
  
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I know what's going on with Ash is hitting you hard and I promised Grandpa that I would help him look after you." Gary said as he gave Delia a hug.  
  
"I appreciate it but I'm not the one who needs to be looked after. Ash is the one going through a life altering situation today. He and Brock are the ones who need our attention." Delia protested.  
  
"That's wrong, Delia." Professor Oak insisted as he entered the room. "You are going through this as well seeing that Ash is your son. Misty and Angelica are going to need our support as well. I don't want you thinking that your feelings and emotions aren't a factor in this situation because they very much are." Gary decided that this was his cue to abandon the conversation so he left the room and went back into the kitchen to join Tracey and Carla.  
  
"I know my feelings are important but all I can think of right now is Ash. I would do this entire thing for him if I could. He shouldn't be having to go through this." Delia sighed.  
  
"I know you would, darling. But right now we really need to get going so we can meet them at the hospital."  
  
* * * * *  
  
The ride to the hospital was a relatively quiet one for Ash, Misty, Brock and Angelica. Even Pikachu wasn't as bright and cheerful as he usually was.  
  
"I know I've said this at least a thousand times in the past twenty four hours but I really want to thank you for what you're doing, Brock. This is going to be a setback for you as well as me and I appreciate you being willing to make such a big sacrifice for me. I always said that I would trust you with my life and today that very comment is being put to the test and I still feel the same way." Ash said finally.  
  
"It's no problem, Ash. I don't want you to worry about setting me back or anything like that. I talked to my dad this morning while you guys were getting ready and he's going to take over the gym for a while until I'm able to pick it up again. The only thing that matters right now is getting you back to 100%. You can trust me with your life because I would trust you with mine if the situation were reversed. I also know that if that happened you would do the same for me." Brock smiled at his friend.  
  
"Pi pika pikachu ka Pikachupi pi pika, Pikapi. Pi pika pi pikachu." (I'll take care of Misty for you, Ash. You can count on me.) Pikachu promised as Ash gave the little Pokemon a big hug.  
  
"Thanks, Pikachu." Ash said.  
  
"Hey, we're here." Misty said nervously as she parked the car at the hospital.  
  
* * * * *  
  
On the way to meet the others at the hospital, Tracey and Carla were following Professor Oak and Delia. Gary was riding with Tracey to give his grandfather some time with Delia by himself so he could try to reassure her. Tracey was driving but it was obvious that his mind was on something other than the road.  
  
"What's wrong, Tracey? You look distracted." Gary asked suddenly.  
  
"He's right, hon. You seem thousands of miles away." Carla agreed.  
  
"I'm fine. I was just thinking about Ash and Brock and what this means for both of them and about Misty and Angelica and how hard it must be for them to stand by during this whole thing. I was also thinking about something that Ash said to me last night." Tracey confessed.  
  
"Oh. You mean when you two went and had a secret pow wow in the kitchen." Gary said.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I know what you mean about this being hard on Misty and Angelica. They probably feel helpless in this situation. I was awake for awhile last night thinking about them and I was thinking about how I would feel if I were in the same position. I would probably go out of my mind." Carla said quietly.  
  
"They'll both need all of the support they can get. We're going to need to be there for them whatever they might need. Make it easy as possible for them." Gary pointed out. Then the group took the last few minutes of the drive in silence.  
  
* * * * *  
  
At the hospital, Ash and Brock were checked in and were getting ready to be taken to separate rooms where they would be prepared for the surgery that they would undergo. Before they were separated the two boys were given a few moments with the girls and to talk to each other.  
  
"Well. This is it, I guess. This is actually happening." Ash said.  
  
"Yeah. But like I said, I have absolutely no regrets about what I am about to do. I just hope it goes as well as the doctor is hoping." Brock agreed as he approached Ash and the two embraced for a moment. Soon after the nurse came in and took the two to separate rooms.  
  
* * * * *  
  
In the meantime, the others had gotten to the hospital and found out where Ash and Brock were. Tracey took a few minutes to calm his nerves before taking his leave of the others to be there for Misty as he had promised Ash the night before.  
  
"Hey. I'm going to go and check on how Ash and Misty are holding up. I need to go alone though because it has something to do with what Ash and I talked about last night." Tracey said.  
  
"Okay, sweetheart. I'll go see if Angelica needs anything and check how Brock is doing." Carla assured Tracey with a kiss.  
  
"I'll come with Tracey just long enough to wish my son luck. I think I know what Ash asked of you so I won't stay long." Delia insisted.  
  
"Gary and I will stay here and wait for all of you to come back." Professor Oak stated with a glance at his grandson who nodded in agreement.  
  
* * * * *  
  
In the room where he had been placed to await surgery, Ash was spending time with Misty and Pikachu. He had to make sure that they were going to be okay while he was out of commission. At the same time he was also wondering where Tracey was because time was running thin.  
  
"Honey, what's the matter?" Misty asked quietly.  
  
"Huh? Oh, sorry Mist. I was just thinking. I have a lot on my mind right now, that's all." Ash said.  
  
"Pi pika pika pikachu, Pikapi. Pika chu pika ka pikachu." (It'll be all right, Ash. I have all faith in you.) Pikachu said as he hopped up onto the bed with Ash.  
  
"Thanks Pikachu. Make sure you and Misty take care of each other. You have to protect her for me." Ash told Pikachu as he hugged him.  
  
"Pi pikachu." (Of course.)  
  
"Mind a little interruption?" Delia said as she poked her head in the door followed closely by Tracey.  
  
"Of course not. I can use a little distraction right now."  
  
"Hey, Ash. You holding up okay?" Tracey asked.  
  
"I guess so. I'm just a little worried." Ash admitted.  
  
"I understand that. But to put your mind at ease a little I promise that I will take care of the thing that we talked about last night."  
  
"Thanks, Trace. That means a lot. I took care of my end of it as well so that's one less thing that I have to worry about. Where's Carla?" Ash changed the subject.  
  
"Oh. She went to see if Angelica needed anything. She told me to give you her best wishes."  
  
"Tell her that I appreciate it very much." Ash smiled.  
  
"I just wanted to wish my baby good luck." Delia whispered as she walked over and took Ash's hand.  
  
"Thanks. Everything is going to be okay. I want you to believe that. I love you, Mom." Ash said.  
  
"I love you too, honey. I'm going to go back to the waiting room now. I hear the doctor coming." Delia gave Ash a kiss and then left the room, leaving Tracey with Ash and Misty. 


	8. The Beginning

Chapter 8: The Beginning  
  
As soon as Delia had left the room, the doctor entered the room to talk to Ash. Misty immediately started shaking violently and Ash took her hand in an attempt to calm her. Tracey had taken Pikachu off of the bed to get him out of the way and he was now in Tracey's lap watching the doctor intently with mild sparks on his cheeks.  
  
"Good morning, Ash. How are you this morning?" Dr. Adams asked politely.  
  
"I'm as well as can be expected I guess. I am a little nervous and curious of what to expect." Ash admitted.  
  
"Well, actually that's why I'm here. To tell you what to expect." Dr. Adams paused for a moment as Misty gripped Ash's hand tighter. He cleared his throat before continuing. "The first thing that we're going to do is start an IV on you. After that's all done then we'll start the medication that will put you to sleep. Once you're out we'll take you to the operating room and bring Brock right behind you and get started on the surgery. The whole procedure will take about four hours and after it's all over you'll be out for a while longer to give you a chance to begin healing. When you do wake up you'll be in some pain but we'll do what we can to help with that. Is there anything else that you would like to know?"  
  
"That pretty much says it all except for one thing. How will Misty know what's going on with me?"  
  
"I'll send a nurse out every hour to give your family and friends an update on the whole procedure." Dr. Adams said.  
  
"Good. That takes some of the burden off. Thanks." Ash smiled.  
  
"Okay. Now that I've put you at ease a bit, lets get started. Misty, could you step back for a moment so we can get the IV started." Dr. Adams asked softly.  
  
"Sure." Misty whispered and backed away to stand next to Tracey, who put an arm around her shoulders. When the doctor began to prepare the needle to start the IV, Misty once again began shaking terribly and buried her face into Tracey's shoulder.  
  
"It's okay, Mist. You can look now." Ash said as soon as the nurse was finished. Misty instantly returned to Ash's side.  
  
"What's that?" Misty asked when she saw a bag in the nurse's hand.  
  
"That is the medication that will put Ash out for surgery." Dr. Adams explained quietly.  
  
Misty felt Ash take her hand and she remained by his side as the solution was started through the IV. She sat by Ash and played with his hair and let him know that she loved him. A few moments later, Misty felt Ash's grip on her hand loosen as his eyes slipped closed and he fell unconscious.  
  
* * * * *  
  
At the same time, in Brock's room, Angelica was walking back and forth across the room trying to calm her nervousness. The unfortunate thing about this was that she was looking at the floor and not where she was going and as Gary walked in the room she collided with him.  
  
"Ooof. What happened?" Gary asked as he shook his head to clear it.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Gary. I didn't even see you." Angelica gasped.  
  
"No harm done. I understand why. You doing okay, Brock?"  
  
"I'm holding up okay, I guess. Good thing Angelica collided with you though. I thought she was going to wear a hole in the floor." Brock chuckled as Angelica came to his side.  
  
"Yeah. Have you heard anything about Ash?" Gary asked.  
  
"We haven't heard a thing. I've been wondering myself." Brock admitted. "Hey, can I ask you a favor?"  
  
"Sure. What is it?" Gary asked.  
  
Brock motioned Gary to come over beside him and asking Angelica to let him talk to Gary for a second whispered something to him.  
  
"I want to pop the question to Angelica after this whole thing is over and I have the ring in my vest pocket and I don't want her to see it so I was wondering if you could wait until she's not looking and get it and hang onto it for me until I ask you for it."  
  
"Of course I will. I won't give away the secret either." Gary whispered.  
  
"Thanks. I appreciate it." Brock smiled.  
  
"I'm sure we'll hear something about Ash soon. Here comes the doctor now." Angelica said nervously as she sat down on the bed next to Brock.  
  
"How is everyone here?" Dr. Adams asked as soon as he walked in.  
  
"We're both a little nervous and Gary made a good point earlier. Can you tell us how Ash is?"  
  
"Well, Ash has already been prepared for surgery and as soon as we get you prepped we'll wheel you both into the operating room. So we really need to get started. Gary, I need to ask you to leave the room please. Angelica, you can stay if you want." Dr. Adams explained.  
  
"Sure. Good luck, Brock. Don't worry, you can count on me to do you that favor." Gary said as he left the room.  
  
"Okay. Let's do it. Angelica, remember what I told you this morning sweetheart. Remember how much I love you and even when I'm not beside you, you'll be able to feel my arms around you." Brock said quietly.  
  
"I know." Angelica whispered as the IV line was started and the medication was administered. She took Brock's hand and kissed it.  
  
The medication started to take effect rather quickly and soon Brock began to loose the feeling in his body as he became extremely sleepy. After a few moments Brock hold on Angelica's hand went limp and his eyes closed as he drifted away from consciousness. 


	9. Waiting Game

Chapter 9: Waiting Game  
  
Once Ash had been moved into the operating room, Misty and Tracey stood there with Pikachu for the longest time, neither of them daring to say anything. It took a few minutes before Tracey spoke.  
  
"What are we going to do now?"  
  
"I don't know. We'll go to the waiting room with the others I guess. There really isn't much else we can do." Misty said quietly.  
  
"Pika pikachu, Pikachupi." (I'm scared, Misty.) Pikachu said as Misty bent down and picked him up.  
  
"So am I, Pikachu. So am I."  
  
"Well, let's go to the waiting room and join the others. That way we can see how Angelica's holding up too." Tracey said as he led Misty out of the room.  
  
On the way back to the waiting room, Misty decided to say something to Tracey that she had wanted to say before but she was to speechless with fear from what she had witnessed that she hadn't been able to.  
  
"Hey, Tracey." Misty whispered.  
  
"Yeah, Misty."  
  
"I just wanted to thank you for being there to support me back there when they were getting Ash ready for surgery. I wouldn't have been able to get through that without help."  
  
"It's no problem. I'm just glad that I was able to be there for you. That's what friends are for, you know." Tracey smiled and gave Misty a quick hug.  
  
"Hey, that's where we need to be." Misty said as she and Tracey walked into the waiting room.  
  
* * * * *  
  
When Misty and Tracey arrived in the waiting room the others were waiting for them. Angelica had already arrived there and was standing in the corner talking to Gary. Misty walked over to talk to Angelica.  
  
"Hey. Are you doing okay?" Misty asked.  
  
"I guess I'm as good as I can be. I can't stop being afraid. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do standing there and watching as Brock was knocked out." Angelica sighed.  
  
"I know what you mean. I was there while they prepped Ash and it terrified me. I hope I never have to go through that ever again." Misty said.  
  
"How are we even supposed to know whether or not they're doing okay? Is someone going to keep us up on what's happening?"  
  
"Yeah. Dr. Adams told us that someone would come out every hour and give us an update on how they're doing." Misty assured Angelica.  
  
"Well that's one good thing. At least we won't have to guess what's happening." Angelica said.  
  
The first hour was full of agonizing waiting because no one knew what was going on. This was obviously taking a toll on Misty and Delia noticed this and decided to try and comfort her.  
  
"Are you all right, dear?" Delia asked softly.  
  
"I'm just so scared, Mom. I wish someone would come and let me know something. I'll feel a lot better if I know that Ash is doing okay. I can't handle this not knowing." Misty said shakily.  
  
"I understand how you feel. I wish I knew something too. But remember that you have a lot of support here. You're not alone."  
  
"Thanks, Mom." Misty smiled a little and gave Delia a hug.  
  
* * * * *  
  
About ten minutes later, a nurse came out to give them an update on the surgery. As soon as Misty saw the nurse she made a beeline for her so she could have an update on Ash's condition.  
  
"The first hour of the surgery went very well. They're getting ready to take the donor liver portion out right now and take the damaged liver out as well. Then they'll put the new liver portion into Ash. Both Ash and Brock are doing well. I hope that makes you feel a little better." The nurse said with a small smile.  
  
"It makes me feel a lot better knowing that they're okay." Misty said.  
  
"Me, too." Angelica agreed.  
  
"I need to get back now. I'll be back in an hour to give you another update."  
  
"Thank you." Delia said.  
  
When the nurse left everyone was very relieved to hear that things were going well. Tracey was so relieved that he took Carla in his arms and hugged her so hard that she felt like she would break in half.  
  
"What was that for?" Carla asked.  
  
"Just because I love you so much." Tracey said.  
  
"I love you, too."  
  
"Hey, is anyone else hungry. I was too wrapped up in this whole thing to think about it before but now that we know that things are good, I just realized that I'm starving." Gary said.  
  
"Pi pika pikachu." (I'm hungry too.) Pikachu said  
  
"I think we're all hungry. Why don't we go and get something to eat." Professor Oak suggested. A suggestion that greatly pleased everyone.  
  
The group left the waiting room for a while to get something to eat from the cafeteria after leaving with the desk nurse where they would be if they were needed. A few minutes later they had arrived in the cafeteria and had gotten some food. Misty sat there for a few minutes playing with a sandwich but wasn't eating very much. Delia noticed this and became concerned for her daughter-in-law.  
  
"Misty, are you okay, dear? You haven't eating very much. I know you have to be hungry because you haven't had a thing since we got here." Delia asked.  
  
"I am hungry, mom, but I just can't eat. I don't know what it is but I just don't feel very well. I got a little dizzy earlier but I'm sure it's all related. I think the stress of this whole situation is finally getting to me. I should start feeling better now that I know that Ash is doing okay." Misty said quietly as she took a small bite of her sandwich and sipped on some juice.  
  
"Pi pika pika chu ka pika, Pikachupi." (I hope you're right about that, Misty.) Pikachu said as he climbed onto Misty's lap.  
  
After everyone had finished they went back to the waiting room to wait on some more news on Ash and Brock. While they were walking back Misty felt her head begin to spin as she heard all of the unsettling sounds in the hallway around her. She took a few more steps and then Misty's vision began to blacken and she felt herself falling as she began to faint and dimly heard a startled cry as Tracey sprang and caught her as Misty collapsed in his arms.  
  
"Hey, hold up guys. Misty fainted." Tracey screamed and brought the others rushing back to him.  
  
"Honey, what happened?" Carla asked.  
  
"I'm not really sure. I heard Misty stumble and turned around in time to see her falling. It's a lucky thing I was able to catch her.  
  
"What's going on here? What's all this shouting about?" A nurse asked and became suddenly startled when she saw the reason for all of the commotion. "What happened to her?"  
  
"Her husband is in surgery right now and I believe the pressure is just a little much for her." Professor Oak calmly explained.  
  
The nurse ran over to the nurse's station and grabbed a telephone and hurriedly punched a few numbers into the base. "Send someone to the third floor nurse's station! The wife of a patient just collapsed and we need to get her to a room now!"  
  
"Pikachupi." (Misty.) Pikachu whispered as Delia scooped him from the floor and held him in her arms. 


	10. Welcome Discovery

Chapter 10: Welcome Discovery  
  
About twenty minutes later, Misty awoke and was startled to find herself in a hospital room. It took a few minutes for her to remember what had happened earlier. Eventually it came back to her and Misty recalled that she had fainted in the hallway. Misty sat up and looked around the room and noticed Delia sitting near the bed.  
  
"Mom. What happened? How did I get here?" Misty asked softly.  
  
"Oh. I'm so glad you're awake, Misty. You gave us quite a scare young lady. While you were out, the nurse ran a blood test on you so they can find out what caused you to faint." Delia sounded very relieved.  
  
"I'm sorry I worried you, mom. You have so much else to worry about." Misty apologized.  
  
"You don't have to apologize to me. You're my daughter-in-law but I love you as if you were my own daughter. I hope that you just collapsed from stress and not something more serious."  
  
Just then a professional looking, older man came into the room and approached Misty and Delia. It was obvious from the look of him that he was one of the doctors.  
  
"Hi. I'm Dr Coleman. How are you feeling, Misty?"  
  
"I feel a little better, thank you." Misty said as she shook the doctor's hand.  
  
"The reason I'm here is because I have the results of the blood test that we ran on you after you passed out earlier."  
  
"Yes. My mother-in-law told me about that." Misty acknowledged.  
  
"Well we did find something in your blood tests but it is a positive thing. Have you ever thought about motherhood, Misty?" Dr. Coleman asked.  
  
"Not really. Why?" Misty was now confused.  
  
"The reason I asked is because you need to think about it because you'll soon have a little one running around. Misty, the reason you fainted wasn't because of stress. It's because you're pregnant."  
  
It took Misty a moment before she could speak again because she was shocked beyond words.  
  
"How far along am I?" Misty asked finally.  
  
"About three months." Dr. Coleman confirmed.  
  
"I can't believe this. I'm going to have a baby." Misty placed her hand on her stomach in wonder.  
  
"I'm going to leave you alone now so you can process all of this. You seem to be doing fine now so you can get up and go join your friends when you're ready."  
  
"Thank you very much." Misty smiled as Dr. Coleman left the room and left her and Delia alone in the room.  
  
"So what do you think, mom? You're going to be a grandmother."  
  
"I'm very happy. This will give Ash plenty of motivation to recover from all of this. He has a child on the way." Delia said, completely in awe over what she had just heard.  
  
"Yeah. Hopefully it'll speed his recovery along." Misty said quietly.  
  
"So, do you feel up to heading back to the others?"  
  
"I think so. I don't feel weak or dizzy anymore. Let's go." Misty took hold of Delia's arm for support as she climbed to her feet. The two women walked back to the waiting room arm in arm to join the others and wait on another update.  
  
* * * * *  
  
As soon as they rejoined the others, there were a lot of questions as to Misty's well being. Questions that she was very happy to answer.  
  
"Are you okay, Misty?" Gary asked.  
  
"Yeah. You really scared us when you fainted earlier." Angelica said.  
  
"I'm glad you're doing better." Carla smiled.  
  
"We heard that they ran a test to see why you fainted?" Tracey asked, sounding a little concerned seeing that he had promised Ash that he would take care of Misty.  
  
Misty looked at Delia and the two women exchanged a smile before Misty answered Tracey's question.  
  
"Yes. They did tell me what caused me to faint. It made me a little nervous until the doctor asked me if I had ever thought about motherhood." Misty began.  
  
"Wait a second. What are you saying, Misty?" Carla asked.  
  
"Well, when I told the doctor I had never considered motherhood he told me that I need to because the reason I fainted is because I'm going to have a baby." Misty said.  
  
"Oh my gosh! You're pregnant!" Angelica squealed, walking over to give her friend a big hug.  
  
"Wow. This is certainly a shock." Professor Oak smiled as Delia walked over to him.  
  
"You can say that again." Gary agreed.  
  
"Let me know if I can do anything to help you." Carla offered.  
  
"Thanks. I'll do that." Misty smiled at her friend.  
  
"I'm very happy for you and Ash. That's going to be a wonderful surprise for him when he wakes up." Tracey said.  
  
"Thanks, Tracey. Again I have to thank you for protecting me. I heard that you caught me when I fell."  
  
"You don't need to thank me. That's what friends do for each other. Plus I promised Ash that I would look after you and Pikachu while he's in surgery. Here why don't you sit down? You've been through a lot." Tracey said as he led Misty to a chair and helped her to sit.  
  
"Pi pikachu, Pikachupi." (Congratulations, Misty.) Pikachu said as he climbed up in Misty's lap and let her cuddle him.  
  
The next half hour was spent with the group talking about Misty's newly discovered pregnancy and wondering how Ash and Brock were holding up. They were, in fact, so engrossed in conversation that none of them even noticed as Dr. Adams appeared in the doorway. 


	11. More Updates

Chapter 11: More Updates  
  
Dr. Adams walked into the waiting room and approached the group. Misty was the first to see him and immediately began to panic because last time a nurse had brought them an update. She feared that if Dr. Adams was there then something was wrong.  
  
"Oh God. Something's happened, hasn't it?" Misty asked, fear apparent in her voice.  
  
"No. Everything is going very well. I'm sorry I scared you. The reason I came with the update myself is because I got to a point where I could take the time to do so. We almost have the donor portion of Brock's liver detached and we're about to start preparing to place it into Ash. It takes a while to complete the first process so that's why it has taken a little longer to bring you news of what is going on."  
  
"How are Ash and Brock holding up?" Angelica voiced the question that she had been afraid to ask before.  
  
"They are both doing perfectly. There have been no complications at all. Because of the time that it will take to transplant the liver portion I'm going to forego another update and let you know when it's all over." Dr. Adams said reassuringly. "I really need to get back now."  
  
"Okay. Thank you." Misty said as Dr. Adams turned and left the room.  
  
As soon as Dr. Adams left, Angelica sat down in a chair, put her head in her hands and started trembling. Misty went and sat beside her and tried to comfort her.  
  
"Angelica, what's the matter?" Misty asked  
  
"I'm just so afraid. I can't help feeling completely terrified." Angelica said and then broke down crying. Misty put her arms around her friend and pulled her into a hug.  
  
"Hey. I need to get out of here for a second. I'll be back in a while. Come on, Umbreon." Gary said.  
  
"What's the matter, Gary? Is something wrong?" Delia asked.  
  
"Not really. I just need to think and clear some things out of my head. I won't be long."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Once Gary had taken his leave of the others, he went to Brock's room to fulfill the promise that he had made to Brock earlier. He had to think for a moment before he could remember where Brock had told him the engagement ring was. He then recalled that it was in Brock's vest pocket so he immediately went to get it and he tucked it away in his own pocket where it was certain that Angelica wouldn't see it.  
  
"Don't worry, Brock. I'll keep this safe for you until the time is right." Gary said to himself.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Back in the waiting room, Misty was still trying to comfort Angelica and convince her that everything was going to be okay. It was a very frightening situation that they were both in and Misty could understand why Angelica was so afraid.  
  
"I do understand why you are so afraid but what I don't understand is why you have such a bad feeling about this thing. It is a very heroic thing that Brock is doing and people are not taken for doing things like this. I know this is true and now I'm sharing it with you so you can have something to hold onto until this is all over and maybe beyond that. You need to have faith in this thing that I told you." Misty said.  
  
"I will. That really helps and it is something that I can hold onto. I needed to hear that. Thanks, Misty." Angelica said with a smile.  
  
"You're welcome. I knew that you probably needed to hear it."  
  
"Pika pi pikachu pika, Pikachupi? Pi pika Pikapi pi pika pika chu pika pikachu." (Are you feeling okay, Misty? I think Ash will be excited about the baby.) Pikachu said.  
  
"I feel fine, Pikachu. The only thing I need right now is for Ash to come out of surgery so that I can see him and see with my own eyes that he's okay." Misty said as she patted Pikachu on the head and cuddled him.  
  
"You never cease to amaze me, Misty." Carla said suddenly.  
  
"Why's that?" Misty asked.  
  
"Because here you are with your husband in surgery and you've just figured out that you're pregnant and you're still so calm and trying to help Angelica stay calm. How do you do it?"  
  
"Misty always has been the strong one." Tracey smiled.  
  
"Pi pika pika." (That's right.) Pikachu agreed.  
  
"It's not always easy to be strong. Tracey, you saw how scared I was earlier when they were preparing Ash for surgery. I almost fell apart then. I'm able to be strong now because I know that it's what Ash would tell me to do if he were able. Plus I know now that I have an unborn son or daughter to consider."  
  
"I still don't think it's hit me yet that I'm going to be a grandmother. It will be nice to have a small person around again that I can help to take care of like I always took care of Ash when he was little." Delia said with a grin. Just then, Gary arrived back in the waiting room, followed by Umbreon.  
  
"Where did you go?" Angelica asked.  
  
"While you and Misty were talking earlier I left so I could clear my head. Umbreon and I just went for a walk around. It really helped me to sort out some things that I needed to think on." Gary said, only half truthfully.  
  
"Oh. Okay. I understand." Angelica was convinced by Gary's fabrication.  
  
"I wish this whole thing were over and done with. Not only is this about Ash and Brock now but also we have two other people to think about. All of the pressure and stress can't be good for Misty and if she gets upset it may hurt the baby. The sooner this is over, the better." Tracey said.  
  
"No one wishes this were over more than Angelica and I do. Like I said earlier I'll feel so much better when I can be with Ash and see with my own eyes that he's okay." Misty agreed.  
  
"Ash and Brock are both going to be fine." Gary announced.  
  
"How do you know?" Angelica asked.  
  
"Simple. Brock is a very strong guy. It'll take more that something like this to get him down. I know Ash is going to come through because he is the most stubborn person I've ever met. I've never known Ash to give up ever and I don't see this being anything different."  
  
"You're right, Gary." Misty conceded and Angelica only smiled.  
  
"Well, it shouldn't be much longer. Misty said earlier that the doctor told her the whole surgery would last about four hours and they've been in there for three and a half hours now. It should be over in about thirty minutes." Professor Oak said, trying to sound optimistic.  
  
The mood in the room was a tense one as they all waited for news on the outcome of the surgery. They were all holding on to hope and hoping for the best possible outcome.  
  
For the next thirty minutes the group sat in silence just taking strength from each other's company but none of them daring to say a word. They all had the same thing on their minds and that was worry and fear about the situation that the people they all cared about were facing.  
  
Ten minutes later, Dr. Adams came back to the waiting room. Once he had gotten all of their attention, he said the four words that all of them had been waiting for the past hours to hear.  
  
"The surgery is over." 


	12. Moment of Truth

Chapter 12: Moment of Truth  
  
As soon as Dr. Adams had finished speaking, Misty immediately withdrew the breath that she didn't even know she had been holding. A feeling of immense relief came over her as she knew the whole thing was over.  
  
"How did everything go?" Delia asked.  
  
"Things couldn't have gone better. Ash and Brock both came through perfectly. They've been taken into recovery now and we'll move them back to their private rooms in about thirty minutes. I'll send someone to let you know as soon as you can see them." Dr. Adams said. "I'm going to go and check on them now."  
  
"Thank God it's over." Angelica said as soon as Dr. Adams had disappeared down the hallway.  
  
"My sentiments exactly. I still don't feel totally at ease yet though. I need to see Ash and know for myself that he's doing okay before I'll be okay." Misty said.  
  
"I understand how you feel Misty but you really should try to stay calm. If you get stressed it won't be good for the baby." Professor Oak said.  
  
"He's right. You don't need to get so upset. Here, drink some water." Tracey agreed as he handed Misty a cup of water.  
  
"Remember what you told me earlier, Misty. You have to have faith and believe. Everything is going to turn out okay and Ash and Brock are going to need our strength to help them get back to normal. We have to try and be strong no matter how hard it seems." Angelica reasoned.  
  
"You're right. That's exactly what I needed to hear. Thanks." Misty smiled.  
  
"You're welcome. Just returning the favor." Angelica smiled in return as she reached out and gave Misty a hug.  
  
* * * * *  
  
A while later a nurse came into the room and approached Misty and Angelica. Misty was hoping that this nurse was here to tell her and Angelica that Ash and Brock were back in their private rooms and that they could see them. This was indeed the news that they got.  
  
"Dr. Adams sent me to tell you that we have moved Ash and Brock back to their private rooms and you can see them now if you wish."  
  
"Thank you." Misty said as the nurse turned to leave. "I'm going to go be with Ash."  
  
"I'm going to go to Brock." Angelica announced as she turned and dashed out of the room and down the hall.  
  
"Hey, are you going to come with me, Mom?" Misty asked.  
  
"Not right now. You go ahead dear. I know you need some time alone with Ash. I'll catch up to you in a little while." Delia said.  
  
"Okay. See you guys later." Misty hollered over her shoulder as she took off down the hall as well, taking Pikachu along with her.  
  
"I sure hope seeing Ash will help Misty." Gary said quietly.  
  
"Yeah, I know. If she sees with her own eyes that Ash is okay it'll more than likely take some of the stress off of her and the less stress she has the better it's going to be for both her and the baby. Also seeing Brock will help Angelica a great deal." Tracey agreed.  
  
"You know, I still can't get used to the idea of Misty being pregnant. I think it's because this is such a sudden thing." Carla said.  
  
"I just hope that seeing Ash settles things down for her, for the sake of the both of them." Gary whispered to himself.  
  
* * * * *  
  
When Misty got to Ash's room, she paused for a moment to collect herself before going inside. She was just reaching to open the door when a small voice from her right shoulder stopped her short.  
  
"Pi pika pika pikachu Pikapi chu pika pika, Pikachupi?" (When will you tell Ash about the baby, Misty?) Pikachu asked.  
  
"I'm not sure when would be a good time, Pikachu. I think I should wait until he wakes up though." Misty answered thoughtfully.  
  
"Pi pikachu." (Good idea.) Pikachu agreed solemnly. "Okay. Let's go be with Ash." Misty said as she slowly opened the door and walked into the room.  
  
When Misty went in Ash's room, she approached the bed and took his hand. He had several wires coming from him and this alarmed Misty a little. Pikachu also got nervous and clung more tightly to Misty's head.  
  
"I'm right here, Ash. It's all over now, sweetheart. Now the only thing left is getting you back to normal. I'll be here with you every step of the way." Misty whispered.  
  
Pikachu jumped off of Misty's lap and climbed up on the bed where he sat protectively next to Ash and kept a stern watch over his friend and trainer.  
  
"Pikapi. Pi pikachu pika. Pika." (Ash. Wake up soon. Please.) Pikachu said as he laid a paw on Ash's arm.  
  
For the next two hours, Misty and Pikachu didn't leave Ash's side for anything. Misty found comfort in just staying by Ash and let the knowledge that he was okay sink in. Just then Dr. Adams walked in the room to check on Ash's condition and talk to Misty.  
  
"Hi, Misty. I just came to look in on Ash. How are you doing? I heard that you collapsed earlier." Dr. Adams asked.  
  
"I'm a lot better now that I get to see Ash. The reason I collapsed is a good one. Not only is it good for me but also it will hopefully give Ash some motivation to wake up. I fainted because I'm pregnant." Misty smiled a little.  
  
"Oh. Congratulations."  
  
"Thanks. How's Ash doing?" Misty asked.  
  
"He seems to be holding up well. The surgery went perfectly and Ash's body showed no signs of rejection at all. I do need to tell you that Ash won't wake up right away. He'll be unconscious for a couple of days but that is perfectly normal. There is no need for you to be alarmed." Dr. Adams informed her.  
  
"Okay. I understand."  
  
"Like I said Ash is holding up well so I'm going to go and look in and see how Brock's doing. I'll come back and check in again in a little while. Make sure you let me know if you need anything."  
  
"Thank you. I will." Misty said as Dr. Adams turned and left the room.  
  
As soon as Dr. Adams was gone, Misty turned her full attention back to Ash. She reached out and took her husband's hand and started talking to him.  
  
"You need to wake up soon, sweetheart. I have a very big surprise for you but I can't tell you what it is until you're awake. Dr. Adams says that you're going to be just fine. I love you, Ash. Please come back to me soon." Misty whispered with tears in her eyes as Pikachu patted her arm with a tiny paw.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Meanwhile, Angelica was keeping a faithful vigil at Brock's side. She held his hand and let him know that she was there for him. The thing that very much disturbed her was that Brock was still out. Just then a voice from the door startled Angelica and caused her to whirl around.  
  
"I'm sorry, Angelica. I didn't mean to startle you. I just came to check on Brock and see how he's doing." Dr. Adams explained.  
  
"There is one thing about this that disturbs me and maybe you can clarify and help me understand." Angelica said.  
  
"I'll do my best. What is it that's worrying you?"  
  
"I don't understand why Brock hasn't woke up yet. It seems to me that he should've been awake by now."  
  
"Brock isn't awake because the medications we gave him before and during the surgery haven't worn off yet. He probably won't regain consciousness until sometime tomorrow afternoon. There's really nothing to worry about." Dr. Adams assured her.  
  
"Just out of curiosity, what time is it now? I don't have a watch." Angelica asked.  
  
"Oh. It's about 11:45 in the morning."  
  
"Hmm. I thought it was later than that. I suppose my sense of time has been a little distorted today because of everything. Can you tell me how Ash is doing?" Angelica said.  
  
"Yes. Ash is doing very well and has had no signs of rejection. He'll be out for a couple of days though." Dr. Adams said.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"I'm going to go and look in on my other patients now. I'll check in on Brock in a few hours. Make sure to let me know if you need anything in the meantime." Dr. Adams said as Angelica nodded to him and he headed out the door.  
  
"You are such a hero, Brock. I am so very proud of you and of being your girlfriend. There are some interesting things that have happened in the past few hours that would really surprise you. I can't wait for you to wake up so I can tell you about all of it." Angelica whispered as she took Brock's hand. Then she laid her head on his chest and was comforted by the sound of his strong heart beating. To Angelica this was a message that Brock would make a full recovery. She just hoped that this was going to be the case. 


	13. Unexpected Visitors

Chapter 13: Unexpected Visitors  
  
While Misty and Angelica were in with Ash and Brock, the others were left in the waiting room, hoping that the two were holding up okay. Suddenly they heard two familiar, friendly voices coming from the doorway.  
  
"How are Ash and Brock doing?"  
  
Tracey looked up and smiled a little when he saw the blue haired man standing in the doorway with his red haired wife at his side. In the past couple of years since they had defected from Team Rocket, Jessie and James had become their friends.  
  
"From what we've heard they're holding up okay. The surgery ended about an hour ago and they've been back in their private rooms for about thirty minutes. Misty and Angelica are in with them now. They'll be glad to know that you guys are here. All involved need all the support they can get." Carla answered.  
  
"Hey, wait a minute. How did you guys know about this whole thing anyway?" Tracey asked.  
  
"Well, we were in Viridian City this morning and decided to drop in on the gym and see if we could battle Gary and we read the sign that was posted on the door saying that Ash and Brock were in the hospital. We still don't know anything specific." Jessie answered.  
  
"I had totally forgotten about making that posting on the door. I guess with all that's going on I've had too much else on my mind." Gary admitted.  
  
"What happened to lead up to this? I've been wondering." James asked.  
  
"Well, it all started two days ago when Carla and I stopped in to visit Ash and Misty. When we got there Misty told us that Ash was taking a nap and that seemed a little strange to her and she was worried. Later, we had lunch with them and after we ate Ash suggested that we have a battle." Tracey began and then took a breath as those memories came back. Carla saw this and put a hand on his arm, silently urging him to continue. "Anyway, after we had finished our battle we were coming in from the yard and Ash collapsed. Pikachu ran in the house to get the girls and Carla called the ambulance while Misty came out to help me. Then they brought Ash here and his doctor told us that he had a weak liver and needed a transplant. We were all tested and Brock was a perfect match. So we spent the evening last night enjoying each other's company and came back this morning and here we are now."  
  
"Oh my gosh." Jessie gasped.  
  
"We had no idea." James said.  
  
"No one did. I'm just glad that we found a match and everything will be okay." Delia cut in.  
  
"That's right." Professor Oak agreed, placing an arm around his wife's shoulders.  
  
Just then Dr. Adams came in the room to give them an update. It was obvious from the look on his face that things were still going okay.  
  
"Things are going as well as I was hoping. I can let you see them now two at a time." Dr. Adams said.  
  
"We'll go and see to Ash." Professor Oak said, heading out the door with Delia right behind him.  
  
"Carla and I will go and check on how Brock's holding up." Tracey said.  
  
"I'll stay here with Jessie and James and wait until you guys come back." Gary told Tracey as he left with Carla.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Misty was still sitting keeping vigil at Ash's side when something drew her attention and caused her to jump. She whirled around to see Delia and Professor Oak standing in the doorway.  
  
"We didn't mean to startle you dear. Dr. Adams said that Ash and Brock could have visitors so we came to see how you were doing." Delia said.  
  
"That's right. How's Ash doing?" Professor Oak asked as he went to scratch Pikachu behind his ears.  
  
"He seems to be doing okay. But when Dr. Adams was in here earlier he told me that Ash is going to be unconscious for a couple of days. I don't really like the sound of that but the doctor said it was normal and really nothing to worry about." Misty said quietly.  
  
"It is normal. The reason for that is for Ash's body to have a chance to begin healing. There really isn't anything to worry about." Professor Oak confirmed.  
  
"Okay. I understand." Misty accepted this fact when it was coming from someone she trusted.  
  
"Ash, it's Mom honey. You need to wake up soon. There is a wonderful thing that has happened and Misty wants to tell you about it but you need to wake up first. I love you." Delia spoke softly to Ash as Pikachu remained by his friend's side, determined not to move.  
  
"You're a very strong young man, Ash. If anyone can beat this thing, you can. We are all behind you 100% and we're going to help you make a full recovery. You have a family here for you and several friends that are backing you. You've got to beat this thing and not let it beat you." Professor Oak said.  
  
"Oh, and before I forget to tell you, Misty, we have two more members of the support group. Jessie and James are here. They got here a few minutes ago. They're in the waiting room with Gary." Delia said.  
  
"Let them know that I really appreciate their being here." Misty smiled.  
  
"I will dear. You try to be strong for Ash. You'll probably have more visitors in a little while." Delia smiled as she took Misty's hand.  
  
"That's good. Ash needs all of the support he can get and so does Brock. Visitors will more than likely be good for them."  
  
"Well we're going to go now. I'll tell Gary, Jessie and James that they can come in and see Ash now." Professor Oak said as he and Delia turned and left the room, once again leaving Misty alone with Ash.  
  
"Everything will be alright Ash. I guarantee that. If I have to I'll see to it myself." Misty whispered as she took Ash hand and held it tightly.  
  
* * * * *  
  
At the same time in Brock's room. Angelica was sitting there with Brock talking to him and trying to reassure him that things were going to be okay.  
  
"I'm right here with you, Brock. We're going to get through this together. You'll always have me." Angelica began and stopped short when she heard approaching footsteps. "Who's there?"  
  
"It's only us. We were cleared to come and see Ash and Brock so we decided to come here and see how the hero's holding up." Tracey smiled.  
  
"Yeah. How is Brock faring? I see he still hasn't woke up yet." Carla noted.  
  
"Well, he won't wake up until sometime tomorrow afternoon. That's what Dr. Adams told me earlier." Angelica said quietly.  
  
"Oh, no. I'm sorry. I know that must be hard for you." Carla whispered.  
  
"I'll admit it is a bit unsettling but according to what Dr. Adams says it's nothing to be alarmed about. Apparently it's because of stuff that they gave him before and during the surgery. I still wish he'd wake up though." Angelica said.  
  
"I understand how you feel." Tracey said with a small smile as he placed a hand on Angelica's shoulder.  
  
* * * * *  
  
When Delia and Professor Oak arrived back in the waiting room, Gary came up and approached them.  
  
"How's Ash?" Gary asked as Jessie and James came up behind him.  
  
"He seems to be doing alright even though he is still unconscious. Misty said that Dr. Adams told her that he'll probably be that way for a few days." Professor Oak answered.  
  
"Uh oh. How's Misty handling that?" Jessie asked.  
  
"She seems to be dealing with it pretty well." Delia answered.  
  
"Oh and by the way, you guys can go and see Ash now if you want to." Professor Oak told the three.  
  
"Great. I want to see how Ash is doing. He is family after all. Let's go Umbreon. Come on you guys if you're coming." Gary said as he and his Pokemon headed out the door, followed by Jessie and James.  
  
* * * * *  
  
When Jessie, James, and Gary arrived outside Ash's room, they stood there for a moment trying to get up the courage to go inside. After a few minutes, Gary mustered up enough bravery and opened the door. Then the three stepped inside.  
  
Misty was sitting by Ash's side and when she heard the door open she turned around and smiled when she saw her friends.  
  
"How's Ash?" Gary asked.  
  
"He seems to be doing alright except he's still unconscious. Dr. Adams told me that he won't wake up for a couple of days." Misty said.  
  
"We heard about that. How are you holding up?" Jessie asked as she walked forward and gave Misty a hug.  
  
"I'm doing as well as I can be. I just wish that Ash would wake up because when he does I have a beautiful surprise for him. I really appreciate you guys coming. Ash needs all the support he can get and also your being here is very helpful to me."  
  
"Once we found out what was going on, we had to come. Ash is our friend after all." James said.  
  
"What's the surprise that you have for Ash?" Jessie asked.  
  
"Well, I want to give him some wonderful news. He's going to be a daddy." Misty whispered with a smile.  
  
"You're pregnant?" Jessie's mouth dropped to the floor in shock.  
  
"Wow! Congratulations." James smiled.  
  
"Thanks. I'm still having a hard time believing it."  
  
"Hi there Pikachu." Jessie said as she stroked Pikachu's head.  
  
"Pika." (Hi.) Pikachu whispered.  
  
"Hey, guys. It's getting late so I think we need to go and let Misty try to get some rest." Gary said.  
  
"You're right. Let's go, Jessie." James agreed, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder.  
  
"Okay. Misty, make sure you let me know if you need anything." Jessie said.  
  
"I will. Again, I really appreciate you guys being here." Misty said as the three departed to go back to the waiting room.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Back in the waiting room, Delia and Professor Oak were sitting down waiting for the others to come back. While they were waiting, they talked about the situation that was facing two people they cared about.  
  
"I wish this whole situation was over already and things could get back to normal."  
  
"Things will get back to normal soon. Things went well and there were no setbacks or anything of that sort. This will all be over soon." Professor Oak tried to reassure his wife.  
  
Just then they heard Tracey and Carla come into the waiting room. It was obvious that things were still okay from the looks on their faces but Delia picked up on the fact that Tracey was a little disturbed.  
  
"What's on your mind, Tracey? You seem a little upset." Delia asked.  
  
"It's nothing. Just the way I am. When I see other people upset it causes me to get distressed. I think it also got to me when I went in there and saw Brock all hooked up to everything. It just caught me a little bit off guard." Tracey admitted.  
  
"I understand how you feel. Think of it this way though, this is just the first step in getting everything back to normal. Back to the way it should be." Delia smiled.  
  
"Delia's right about that but seeing Ash like that still hit me in the pit of the stomach like a brick." Gary remarked from the doorway, causing the others to turn around. "How's Brock holding up?"  
  
"He's doing fairly well. Angelica seems okay too but she said that it's a little upsetting to her that Brock is still out. But Dr. Adams told her that he won't come to until sometime tomorrow afternoon." Carla answered.  
  
"In all the time we've known those guys, even though we started out trying to steal Pikachu from Ash, I never thought I would live to see them in a situation like this one." Jessie said.  
  
"I'm just glad that everything is turning out all right. I hope that everything gets back to normal soon for the both of them but also for Misty seeing that she's pregnant and stress can't be good for either her or the baby." James agreed.  
  
"Hey, guys. I have an idea that might help ease our minds and also help the situation. Why don't we get together over here and pray for all of them and the situation that they are in now." Carla suggested.  
  
"I think that is a beautiful idea." Delia smiled.  
  
"Yeah." The others quickly agreed.  
  
Then the seven of them huddled together in a corner of the room and joined hands and prayed for their friends and the tense situation that they were in. 


	14. Heavenly Messenger

Chapter 14: Heavenly Messenger  
  
About two hours later, Misty was suddenly awakened by an unfamiliar voice speaking to her. It frightened her that this voice was calling her by her name.  
  
"Misty." The voice said.  
  
Misty turned to look around and saw a beautiful girl, not much younger that herself, with long brown hair and green eyes.  
  
"Who are you? What do you want with me?" Misty asked.  
  
"You don't need to be afraid. I'm here to give you some good news. My name is Violet and I know this may sound unusual for you to hear but I am an angel."  
  
"An angel?" Misty repeated.  
  
"Yes. I have been sent here to tell you that you have nothing to fear. Your husband will be just fine. He will wake in two days and then you can tell him about the unborn child growing inside of you. I know this because it has already been taken care of. I don't know if you knew this but earlier your friends were praying for you and your husband as well as your friend and their prayers are going to be answered." Violet explained.  
  
"I didn't know that. What about our friend, Brock. He is a hero in this situation. Will he be okay too?"  
  
"Yes. Your friend will awaken tomorrow afternoon and he is going to be fine as well. The whole situation will be over in a couple of days and things will start getting back to normal."  
  
"Thank you. I'm sorry I sounded harsh earlier. It's just that I was afraid. I've heard of angels but I never expected to see one for many years." Misty apologized.  
  
"I understand. Not very many people do get to see us like this. After I leave you will recall what I told you but you will have no memory that I was ever here." Violet said.  
  
A few minutes later, Misty's eyes started to get heavy and, as Violet slowly began to fade into the background, she laid her head next to Ash and drifted back into a sound sleep.  
  
* * * * *  
  
At the same time, Angelica also had an unexpected visitor. Unlike Misty, Angelica had felt a strange presence in the room before she even saw the visitor or they spoke to her.  
  
"Who's that? Who are you?" Angelica whispered.  
  
"Please don't be afraid. I don't mean you any harm. My name is Rose and I am an angel." The voice was coming from a young woman with dark blonde hair and blue eyes.  
  
"An angel? Why are you here?"  
  
"I am here to tell you that everything is going to be just fine. You don't need to worry. Your friends care a lot about you because they all prayed for your situation. That is the reason that I was sent here. Brock will awaken tomorrow and he will be just fine. I know this because it has already been seen to and taken care of. You need not be afraid. Things will be back to normal very soon." Rose explained  
  
"Thank you. I appreciate your visit." Angelica smiled  
  
"I was sent here because I was needed. But tomorrow you will have no memory of me at all. The only thing that you will remember is what we have spoken about. I will leave you now but remember that you must always believe and you must never lose hope."  
  
Just then, Angelica started to feel drowsy so she leaned her head on the edge of the bed where Brock lay and soon fell asleep as Rose disappeared as quietly as she had come. 


	15. An Awakening and Surprises

Chapter 15: An Awakening and Surprises  
  
The next morning, Misty awakened and had a strange feeling of calm come over her. She remembered the words that she heard last night that reassured her that Ash would come through this situation but Misty found it strange that she had no memory of the voice that had spoken these words. Just then a voice brought her out of her thoughts. She turned around to see Tracey standing in the doorway with Carla beside him.  
  
"Good morning, Misty. We stopped in to see if you wanted us to bring you anything to eat or if you wanted to come down to the cafeteria with the rest of us." Carla smiled.  
  
"I think I'll go with you to get something to eat. Who knows it might make me feel a little bit better. I guess I am pretty hungry. It's been almost a whole day and a half since the last time I ate anything." Misty said.  
  
"Okay. Let's go and get a quick breakfast so that way you can get back to Ash."  
  
"Good idea. Hey, you guys were praying for us last night weren't you?" Misty asked suddenly.  
  
"Yeah. But how did you know that?" Tracey replied startled.  
  
"That's the weird thing. I'm not sure how I know but I do." Misty said.  
  
"Hmm. That's weird. Sounds a little eerie." Carla observed.  
  
"I'm really not sure how it is that I know that. Call it a gut feeling maybe. That's probably all it is. Let's go get some breakfast." Misty said as she decided to drop the subject.  
  
* * * * *  
  
At the same time, Gary stopped by Brock's room to see if Angelica wanted to go with them to eat something. When he walked in the door Gary noticed that Angelica was staring off into dead air and appeared to be deep in thought about something. He then made the mistake of walking up behind Angelica and placing a hand on her shoulder. This resulted in her whirling around and taking a swing at him that Gary just barely avoided.  
  
"Whoa, whoa! Hey! It's me, Gary! Calm down!" Gary exclaimed.  
  
"Oh my gosh. I am so sorry. You just startled me and that was just a reflex action. Are you okay?" Angelica apologized.  
  
"Yeah. I didn't mean to startle you. I wasn't really thinking." Gary admitted.  
  
"Thank you." Angelica said suddenly.  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Thanks to all of you for praying for Ash and Brock's situation. I really appreciate it."  
  
"Uh. You're welcome. But I don't understand how in the world you knew that." Gary said in confusion.  
  
"Women's intuition, I suppose. I don't really know." Angelica admitted.  
  
"Okay, if you say so. Listen, the reason I came by was to see if you wanted to come down to the cafeteria with us to get something to eat. You've got to be hungry."  
  
"No thanks. Dr. Adams said that Brock will come to sometime today and I really want to be here when he wakes up. You can bring me something if you want but you don't have to."  
  
"I'll bring you something to eat and some juice. You haven't eaten in almost two days so I know you have to be starving." Gary insisted.  
  
"Thanks, Gary." Angelica smiled gratefully.  
  
"No problem. See you later."  
  
Angelica smiled at Gary as he turned and walked out to join the others but remained by Brock's side.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Hey, Gary. Is Angelica going to come to eat with us?" Misty asked.  
  
"No. She said that she wanted to stay so she can be there in case Brock wakes up." Gary said.  
  
"I understand how she feels. It's probably best for her to be there for Brock when he does wake up. We can bring her something to eat." Delia reasoned.  
  
"Yeah. I told her that I'd bring her something to eat and some juice. It's been almost two days since she's eaten anything."  
  
"That was very thoughtful." Professor Oak smiled as his grandson.  
  
"You sure have changed a lot from the guy I used to know, Gary. Of course I mean that in a good way." Tracey said.  
  
"It's like I told you the other day. I was young and stupid back when you knew me before. I realized the error in that a long time ago." Gary smiled.  
  
"Well, here we are. Let's get something to eat. I don't know about you guys but I'm really hungry." Carla said.  
  
"I'll agree with that." Tracey agreed as they went and got some breakfast.  
  
* * * * *  
  
A short time later the group had finished breakfast and went back to check up on their friends and Misty immediately returned to Ash's side. Before Gary returned to the waiting room with the others, he made a stop by Brock's room to give Angelica the donuts and juice that he had picked up for her to eat.  
  
"Hey, Angelica. I brought you a couple of donuts and some orange juice. How's Brock doing?" Gary spoke up as he entered the room. He wasn't about to make the same mistake he had before.  
  
"Hi, Gary. Thanks for the breakfast. It'll probably make me feel a little better. I hope Brock wakes up soon." Angelica whispered as she took the food and juice from Gary and started to nibble on it.  
  
"I hope so too, for the sake of both of you."  
  
"I really appreciate it."  
  
"Well, I'm going to go back with the others now. Make sure you let us know if something changes." Gary said.  
  
"I will." Angelica smiled as Gary turned and walked from the room.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Meanwhile, back in Ash's room, Misty walked in the door and was greeted by an unusually quiet Pikachu, who was seated by his friend's side, keeping a silent vigil.  
  
"Hi there, Pikachu. Everything okay here?" Misty asked.  
  
"Pi pika ka chu ka pi, Pikachupi. Pikachu pika." (As well as they can be, Misty. Nothing's different.) Pikachu answered.  
  
"Thanks for staying here and watching over Ash while I went and got something to eat. It really helped. Here, I brought you some Pokemon food."  
  
"Pi pikachu. Pikapi chu pi pika ka chu Pikachu." (You're welcome. Ash would have done it for me.)  
  
Misty just smiled at this and patted the small Pokemon on the head in appreciation as he munched the food hungrily. She also noticed that even though she had returned, Pikachu still refused to leave Ash. It was almost as if Pikachu thought that if he left Ash's side for a moment, something terrible would happen. Obviously the Pokemon felt for Ash and wanted him to wake up just as much as Misty did.  
  
* * * * *  
  
About an hour later, Angelica was keeping vigil at Brock's side when she felt him squeeze her hand. When she noticed this, Angelica gasped and immediately slammed her hand on the nurse call button. Then she turned back to Brock and took his hand again as he slowly opened his eyes.  
  
"Angelica? Where am I?" Brock asked sleepily, looking around the room trying to get himself reoriented.  
  
"I'm right here, sweetheart. You're in the hospital and you just woke up from surgery. Just try and rest."  
  
"Hospital? Surgery?" Brock was confused for a moment and then it all came back to him and he remembered why he was in the hospital. "Oh yeah. How's Ash?"  
  
"He's holding up all right. I talked to Misty a few hours ago. He's still unconscious though. Dr. Adams told her that Ash won't wake up until probably tomorrow." Angelica whispered. Just then the door opened and Dr. Adams walked in.  
  
"Hi, Brock. Welcome back. How are you feeling?"  
  
"Like I just got run over by a herd of rampaging Tauros." Brock said. When he said this Angelica got an uncomfortable look on her face but Dr. Adams, who caught the slight humor in Brock's comment, only laughed.  
  
"You seem to be doing very well. Things couldn't have gone any better. That was a heroic thing you did." Dr. Adams smiled.  
  
"Did it work? Is Ash going to come through all right?"  
  
"Of course. He'll regain consciousness sometime tomorrow and it'll take some time for him to fully recover but he's going to be just fine." Dr. Adams said reassuringly as Brock flinched in pain. "Oh. Would you like me to get you something for that?"  
  
"Yeah. If it's not too much trouble."  
  
"No trouble at all. Let me get over here to the call button and I'll have a nurse bring something."  
  
Angelica cautiously got out of the way momentarily to allow Dr. Adams to reach the call button. Then she retook her position at Brock's side. A few minutes later, a nurse arrived with something to ease some of Brock's pain. As Dr. Adams gave the injection, Brock noticed that Angelica didn't take her eyes away from the man for a second. She seemed to be watching him like a hawk.  
  
"There we go. That'll take the edge off of the pain that you're feeling. The only down side to it is that it may make you a little sleepy. I'll leave you now so you can get some rest. I'll come by to look in on you a little later."  
  
"Could you do a favor for me?" Angelica asked.  
  
"I'll do what I can."  
  
"Can you please let our friends know that Brock is awake? They're all very concerned."  
  
"Sure. I'll do that." Dr. Adams smiled as he left the room.  
  
"Honey, can I ask you a question?" Brock asked.  
  
"Of course. What is it?"  
  
"Why were you looking so suspicious of the doctor just now. He saved Ash and made it where we both came through okay."  
  
"It's a long story. I just had a really bad feeling and it made me a little suspicious." Angelica explained.  
  
"Oh. It's okay. I understand." Brock said tiredly.  
  
"Are you feeling any better?" Angelica asked.  
  
"Yeah. The pain is gone but I am feeling a little tired."  
  
"Well, if you're tired why don't you try to take a nap? It may make you feel better." Angelica suggested.  
  
"Sounds like a nice idea. I think I will take a little rest." Brock agreed as his eyes began to droop a little.  
  
Angelica stayed right by Brock's side and held his hand as he closed his eyes and slid into a sound sleep.  
  
* * * * *  
  
In the waiting room, the others were trying to find ways of keeping their minds off of what was going on. Tracey, Carla and Gary were playing cards while Delia and Professor Oak were talking about happier things. When Dr. Adams walked into the room, everyone stopped right in the middle of what they were doing and turned their attention to him.  
  
"What's going on?" Delia asked nervously.  
  
"First of all let me say that nothing is wrong. The reason I came by here is because Brock is awake and Angelica asked me if I would come and tell you."  
  
"That's wonderful news!" Professor Oak said.  
  
"I agree." Tracey smiled.  
  
"Me too. Things are getting better." Carla observed.  
  
"Can we see him yet?" Gary asked.  
  
"Not yet. He needs to try and rest a little right now. Wait about thirty minutes." Dr. Adams explained.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Well, I'm going to go on with my rounds now. Let me know if you have any questions or need anything." Dr. Adams said as he turned to leave.  
  
"I'm going to go and tell Misty. I'm sure she'll want to know." Tracey said as he took his leave and left the room as well.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Misty had just finished taking a little nap as she was awakened by the sound of approaching footsteps. She looked up just in time to see Tracey walk in the door.  
  
"Hi, Misty." Tracey smiled.  
  
"What's going on, Tracey? Is something wrong?" Misty suddenly looked startled.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. Nothing bad happened. I came here to tell you that Brock's awake. Dr. Adams just came and told us. I thought you'd like to know."  
  
"That's great! I'll need to go and see him later!" Misty exclaimed.  
  
"How's Ash?"  
  
"Nothing's really changed yet. The one thing that I'm afraid of is that when Ash wakes up he's going to be in a lot of pain."  
  
"Well, I'm sure the doctor and nurses can help out with that. But just think of it this way. Ash has a wonderful surprise ahead of him when he wakes up." Tracey reasoned.  
  
"You're right. I can't wait to tell Ash." Misty smiled.  
  
"You seemed a little disoriented when I came in. Are you okay?" Tracey asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. I took a nap a little while ago because I was tired and I had just woke up when you came in. That's why I was so disoriented."  
  
"Oh, okay. I was just a little concerned because I thought something might have been wrong. I did promise Ash that I would look after you while this was going on."  
  
"I really appreciate it, Tracey. And I know that our little unseen one appreciates you looking after him or her too." Misty smiled.  
  
"You're both welcome. I'm going to leave you alone now so you can get some rest. I think it would be a good idea for you to check up on Brock later. That would help Angelica too."  
  
"Okay. Thank you, Tracey. I appreciate the news. I'll go and look in on Brock here in a few minutes."  
  
"Bye. Make sure to holler if anything changes."  
  
"Sure. Bye."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Angelica was keeping watch over Brock when a friendly voice caused her to turn her head.  
  
"Hi, Misty. How's Ash doing?"  
  
"Hey. Nothing's really changed. I left Pikachu to stay with Ash and I came to check on Brock. I heard that he woke up earlier." Misty said.  
  
"Yeah. He did wake up about an hour ago but the doctor gave him something to take the edge off his pain and it made him sleepy. I figure a nap will do him some good." Angelica answered as Misty gave her a hug.  
  
"I'm so glad to hear that Brock woke up. Things are starting to get a little bit back to normal."  
  
Just then Brock opened his eyes with a small yawn and smiled when he saw Misty talking to Angelica.  
  
"Hi, Misty." Brock whispered.  
  
"Hey, Brock. I'm really glad that you're awake. I was concerned about you." Misty smiled as she approached her dear friend and took him by the hand.  
  
"Is Ash doing any better?"  
  
"He's still unconscious. I've been told that he'll wake up tomorrow sometime. Pikachu is with Ash watching over him while I'm here. I wish Ash would wake up because I have a surprise for him."  
  
"Are you feeling any better, Brock?" Angelica asked with concern.  
  
"Yeah. I'm not hurting as badly right now and taking a little rest really helped too." Brock kissed Angelica's cheek and turned back to Misty. "Misty, if you don't mind my asking. What is this surprise that you have for Ash when he wakes up?"  
  
"Well, I suppose I could tell you. Something happened while you two were still in surgery and it revealed a little something. The surprise I have is that Ash is going to be a daddy." Misty grinned.  
  
"You're pregnant! Wow. I get put out of it for a little bit and I miss a lot with you guys." Brock joked.  
  
"Well, things do tend to happen fast around here. I know Ash will be excited when I get to tell him. I'm excited just thinking about it." Misty laughed  
  
"How did you find out?" Brock asked.  
  
"Yesterday when we had gone to get some lunch I started to feel a little dizzy and I was hungry but I couldn't eat. At first I thought it was stress related until we were walking back to the waiting room and I fainted. When I woke up I found out that they had run a blood test and a doctor came and told me the reason I felt like that wasn't because of stress but because I'm pregnant. I was shocked to say the least." Misty explained.  
  
"We were all concerned about Misty but we were shocked and excited to hear that Misty is expecting." Angelica smiled.  
  
"That is some good news."  
  
"Brock. I know you've heard this probably more than you want to but I'm going to say it again. I want to thank you for what you did. I know it wasn't an easy thing to do but it gave Ash a new lease on life. If you hadn't been willing to make such a sacrifice I don't even want to think about what might have happened." Misty said.  
  
"If I had it to do over again I wouldn't have done anything different. It wasn't a hard decision really because I know that if it was me in Ash's situation then he would have done exactly what I did." Brock smiled.  
  
"You're right. He would have. I just want you to know how much I appreciate what you did. Even more now than before considering that I have someone else in the equation now."  
  
"It's okay. You're very welcome. Like I said before, I consider you and Ash like family."  
  
"I appreciate that. We consider you like family too. I'm going to go now so you and Angelica can spend some time together. Besides I need to get back to Ash." Misty smiled.  
  
"Ok. Thanks for coming by Misty. I really appreciate your concern. Let us know if anything changes with Ash." Brock said.  
  
"I will. I'll see you guys a little later."  
  
After Misty was gone, Angelica went to Brock and sat down beside him. She was immensely relieved that he was awake and doing a little better.  
  
"You okay? You seem a little quiet."  
  
"I'm fine. I'm just so glad that you're finally awake. It makes me feel so much better. You have no idea how worried I was. Gary came in here this morning and startled me and I swung at him. Luckily I missed. Normally I never would have reacted like that. It really scared me." Angelica admitted a little shakily.  
  
"It's okay. Everything's fine now. I understand that you were stressed out. If I were in your position I probably would have been a nervous wreck too. The only thing different is if I had swung at someone I probably wouldn't have missed." Brock said causing Angelica to giggle a bit. "Ah. I knew that would bring out that pretty smile."  
  
"You always seem to know how to bring out the best in me." Angelica said.  
  
"That's because I love you so much. You bring out the best in me too. I will always love you."  
  
"I love you too. I kept my promise you know. I told you that I wasn't going to leave your side and I didn't. Not for a second. Gary asked if I wanted to come with them to eat earlier and I turned him down because I was afraid if I left then I wouldn't be here for you when you woke up."  
  
"I knew you would keep that promise. Did you eat anything this morning?"  
  
"Oh yeah. Gary brought me some donuts and juice from the cafeteria. Until this morning it had been nearly two days since I'd eaten." Angelica reassured Brock quietly.  
  
"I'll have to thank Gary for taking such good care of you. It makes me feel better to know that you had someone there for you when I couldn't be." Brock whispered.  
  
"You were there for me the whole time." Angelica smiled as Brock pulled her close and kissed her lips.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Forty-five minutes later, Gary decided that he was going to take a leave from the others so that he could go and talk to Brock. He knew now that Brock would want the engagement ring that he had been holding onto since this whole thing started.  
  
"Hey, guys. I'll be back. It's been over thirty minutes since Dr. Adams was here and I need to talk to Brock about something. I can't explain why just now but I have to go alone. I'll try not to be long."  
  
"Okay. Tell Brock that we're all glad that he's awake and doing okay." Professor Oak said.  
  
"I will Grandpa. See you guys later." Gary called back over his shoulder as he walked out of the room.  
  
* * * * *  
  
When Gary arrived outside Brock's room, he first checked his pocket to make sure he still had the ring box. After assuring that he still had it, Gary opened the door and walked in the room.  
  
"Oh, sorry. I can come back." Gary stuttered as he realized he had just walked in on Brock and Angelica kissing.  
  
"No. It's okay. Come on in, Gary." Brock smiled as Gary approached.  
  
"My grandpa said to tell you that everyone is glad that you're awake and doing better. It is good to see that you've returned to the land of the living."  
  
"Thanks. I really appreciate that." Brock said and then, noticing the look in Gary's eyes, turned momentarily to Angelica.  
  
"Babe, can I get you to do me a favor? I'm a little thirsty but I don't know if I can drink anything. Could you go and find out about that for me?" Brock asked.  
  
"Are you sure you'll be okay while I'm gone?"  
  
"Sure. Besides, Gary can keep me company while you're gone." Brock said.  
  
"Okay. I'll be right back." Angelica said as she left the room.  
  
"Are you really thirsty, Brock? I could have done that for you." Gary asked as soon as Angelica had gone.  
  
"Not really. I just used that to get Angelica out of the room so you and I can talk for a minute. Did you do that favor that I asked?"  
  
"Sure did. I have the ring right here." Gary smiled as he handed the small box back to Brock.  
  
"Thanks. I really appreciate it. I'm going to ask her as soon as she gets back." Brock smiled in appreciation.  
  
A few minutes later the two boys heard the door opening and Brock hid the ring box under the covers just as Angelica entered the room again.  
  
"I finally found a nurse and she said that if you want something to drink I can get you something."  
  
"That's okay, love. I'm not really thirsty anymore. I appreciate you finding that out though."  
  
"Uh. Okay. I'm glad I don't have to leave again." Angelica said with a bit of confusion.  
  
"Hey, I'm going to leave you two alone now. You'll probably have some more visitors later." Gary said.  
  
"Ok. Thanks for taking care of Angelica for me." Brock smiled.  
  
"No problem. Later."  
  
When Gary had left the room Brock turned to Angelica and motioned her to come and sit next to him. She did this and Brock took her hand and gazed into her eyes.  
  
"Is something wrong, Brock?" Angelica was concerned about Brock's sudden change in behavior.  
  
"No. Nothing's wrong. There's just something that I need to talk to you about."  
  
"Okay. What do you want to talk about?"  
  
"Well it has to do with you and me and it's a good thing. When I found out that I was a liver match for Ash, I started thinking about some things. I started thinking how important you are to me and how wonderful it is having you in my life. Then I wondered what I should do about this. I knew that it was time to do something that I was trying to work up the nerve to do for some time now." Brock explained.  
  
"What are you saying, Brock?" Angelica asked and then let out a loud gasp when Brock pulled the ring box out from under the blankets.  
  
"I'm saying that I have a very important question to ask you. Angelica, would you be my wife? Will you marry me?"  
  
"Oh my gosh. Yes! I will marry you!" Angelica exclaimed as she gave Brock a very careful hug when he slid the diamond on her finger.  
  
"Whoa. That sure took a lot more out of me than I expected. It zapped my energy but it was well worth it." Brock murmured sleepily as he closed his eyes. A few minutes later his breathing grew deeper and he drifted off to sleep.  
  
"Rest well, my hero. You deserve some sleep. I love you so much." Angelica whispered as she gave Brock a gentle kiss on the head. 


	16. Answered Prayers and Revelations

Chapter 16: Answered Prayers and Revelations  
  
Angelica sat in shock as she stared at the beautiful diamond that was glistening on her finger. She still couldn't believe that Brock had actually proposed to her. Just then she looked on Brock, who was sound asleep and had an expression of peace spread across his face.  
  
"I love you so much. I am so proud of you. Now we have to get you back to 100% so that we can start planning our wedding." Angelica whispered as she leaned over and gently kissed Brock's cheek. Then she closed her eyes and fell asleep with her head pillowed on Brock's arm.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Carla woke up at about 4:30 in the morning with a lot still on her mind. She looked around the room and noticed that everyone else was sleeping so she decided to go for a walk and see how Misty was holding up. Getting up out of the chair she had fallen asleep in, Carla stretched out her back and moved toward the door. As she did this she nearly tripped over Tracey who had fallen asleep on the floor and was snoring quietly.  
  
"I guess the tension of this situation finally got the better of him. He's got to be chilly down there on that cold floor." Carla thought as she reached for the blanket that was laying across one of the chairs and gently laid it over Tracey's sleeping form and bent to kiss his head. Then she stepped over him and quietly tiptoed out of the room and into the hallway.  
  
Carla walked around for a little while just trying to think some things out. She thought about how this situation had turned out and felt very relieved for her friends that things were looking up. Then she decided to go and take the chance that Misty might still be awake and see how she was doing.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Misty was sitting by Ash's side wishing that he would just open his eyes and let her see his loving smile. It seemed like she was going to go out of her mind with apprehension when she heard a noise behind her. She turned around and smiled when she saw Carla poke her head in the door.  
  
"Hey. What are you up to? I thought you'd be asleep." Misty asked.  
  
"I was but I woke up a few minutes ago because I had things on my mind. For a few minutes I walked around by myself and then I decided to peek in here and take the off chance that you might be awake."  
  
"I'm so very glad that you did. I was about to go out of my mind and needed someone to talk to. Where's Tracey? I would have thought he'd be with you?"  
  
"When I left Tracey was sound asleep on the floor. I guess he wore himself out worrying about everyone." Carla explained.  
  
"Oh. Okay. This way we can talk for a while. I really need someone to talk to right now."  
  
"Sure. What's on your mind? You look a little bit upset."  
  
"It's just that I think all that's happened is really getting to me now. I've been thinking about all of the things that could have happened and I'm so relieved that everything went so well. I think seeing Brock awake earlier settled my mind a little bit but I think I still need Ash to wake up and be able to know that things are getting back to normal before I can be totally calm. I've been trying to stop thinking like this because I know if I get myself upset it isn't good for the baby." Misty whispered as Carla came and sat down in a chair across from her.  
  
"I understand. I actually admire you for being so calm. If I were you and Tracey were is Ash's position, I think I would be a nervous wreck. There's no way I'd ever be able to be that strong. I really don't see how you do it."  
  
"It's not easy. I don't think I'd be able to keep it together if I only had myself to worry about. But the truth is that I have an unborn child to take into account now. Plus before all of this started I promised Ash that I would take care of Pikachu." Misty whispered as the little Pokemon sleeping next to his trainer on the bed momentarily lifted his head at the sound of his name.  
  
"Still I admire your strength." Carla said as she leaned forward to give Misty a comforting hug.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Back in the waiting room, the others were waking up and it didn't take Tracey long to realize that Carla was missing.  
  
"Hey, have any of you seen Carla? She seems to have disappeared." Tracey asked as Delia and Professor Oak simply shook their heads.  
  
"Maybe she went for a walk or something. This whole situation has been nerve wracking." Gary reasoned.  
  
"Yeah. You're probably right but I'd still feel better if I knew where she was. I'm going to look for her. I think I know a couple of places where I can look for her. I'll be back."  
  
Tracey walked through the hallway and figured that Carla was either with Misty or Angelica. So he went to Brock's room first and quietly peeked in the door. When he did this, Tracey noticed that Brock and Angelica were both sound asleep and that, obviously, Carla wasn't here so he decided to go to Ash's room to see if Misty had seen her.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Carla and Misty were still talking about everything that had happened over the past couple of days when suddenly Tracey poked his head in the door and scared them.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I was just looking for my beautiful girl. I woke up earlier and you were gone so I decided to come looking. Why did you leave anyway?"  
  
"I had some things on my mind so I decided to go for a walk. I had a little bit of trouble getting out of the room because a certain someone was conked out in the middle of the floor." Carla smiled and Tracey blushed a little. "After I laid a blanket over you to keep you warm I managed to step over you and then I decided to see if Misty was awake and we started talking."  
  
"Yeah, I was pretty out of it for a while. I guess I was more tired than I thought." Tracey said, slightly embarrassed.  
  
"I think this situation has taken a lot out of all of us, Tracey. The sooner the whole thing is over and done with, the better for everyone." Misty pointed out.  
  
"I agree." Carla said.  
  
Just then, the three heard a quiet moan coming from the bed and turned just in time to see Pikachu leap up as Ash opened his eyes.  
  
"Pikapi?" (Ash?) Pikachu whispered.  
  
"Oh my gosh! Ash is awake!" Misty exclaimed.  
  
"I'll go get the doctor." Tracey cried as he turned and dashed out the door and down the hallway.  
  
"Misty?" Ash asked sleepily as he looked up into Misty's blue eyes.  
  
"I'm right here, Ash." Misty whispered reassuringly.  
  
A few minutes later, Tracey returned with Dr. Adams so that he could check on Ash's condition.  
  
"Hey, Ash. I'm glad to see that you've regained consciousness. How are you feeling?"  
  
"I'm doing okay considering what I've just been through. I'm hurting a bit but other than that I'm okay." Ash's answer made all in the room smile.  
  
"Well, if you'll excuse me for a moment, I'll go and get something to help with your pain." Dr. Adams smiled.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Hey, Tracey. Thanks for taking care of Misty for me while I was out. I really appreciate it." Ash smiled gratefully as he noticed Tracey standing near the door with Carla beside him.  
  
"You're welcome. I made a promise and I keep my word."  
  
"Everyone was there for me. This morning Carla happened to stop by when I thought I was going to go out of my mind if I didn't have someone to talk to. She gave me a lot of support."  
  
"Thank you, Carla. I appreciate you being there for Misty when she needed a friend."  
  
"Hey. Can I ask you guys a favor? Will you go back to the waiting room and let everybody know that Ash is awake? I really need to talk to Ash." Misty asked, hinting that she wanted to be alone with her husband.  
  
"Sure. We'll leave you two alone." Carla smiled as she and Tracey walked out and headed back to the waiting room.  
  
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Ash asked curiously as soon as their friends were gone.  
  
"I wanted to talk because I have a surprise for you. I've been waiting for you to wake up so I can tell you."  
  
"What kind of surprise?"  
  
"The surprise I have for you is that our little family is going to be growing by one." Misty smiled.  
  
"Whoa. Hold it. What are you trying to tell me, Mist?"  
  
"I'm trying to tell you that we're going to have a baby. I'm pregnant!"  
  
Ash was totally speechless for a moment as he let Misty's words sink in. He was in total shock.  
  
"How did you find out that you're pregnant?" Ash asked.  
  
"Well, there's quite a story behind that." Misty began.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Just then, Tracey and Carla walked into the waiting room and found the others waiting for them. It was obvious by the looks on their faces that there was some news.  
  
"Tracey, Carla has something happened?" Delia asked nervously.  
  
"What is it, Tracey?"  
  
"Come on guys. Now is not the time to play games. Let us in on what it is that you guys obviously know." Gary snapped.  
  
Tracey and Carla looked at each other and both of them broke out with very wide grins that just confirmed their good news.  
  
"Well, Tracey and I have some very good news for all of you. All of our prayers have just been answered."  
  
"Whoa. Hold on. Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Professor Oak asked hopefully.  
  
"Yes. We're telling you that Ash is awake. He came to about five minutes ago. Misty asked us to come and tell you. Things are finally starting to get back to normal." Tracey smiled.  
  
"Oh thank God! I'm so glad that Ash is awake." Delia exclaimed as Professor Oak picked her up and whirled her in a circle. Gary let out a loud whoop and jumped in the air while Tracey and Carla stood by smiling as they watched the excitement.  
  
"Okay, okay. Let's calm down. Can we see Ash?" Gary asked.  
  
"I don't think anyone would have a problem but I'd wait a while. Misty is with Ash now and we all know why she needs some time alone with him. We should wait for a little while."  
  
"Tracey's right. Misty needs time alone with Ash so that she can tell him about her pregnancy." Delia agreed.  
  
"We'll go see him later. Right now we need to celebrate things getting back to normal!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
"So what's the story, Mist? I'm kinda curious now. How did you find out that we're going to have a baby?" Ash asked.  
  
"Well, it was a couple of days ago, while you and Brock were still in surgery. We had gone down to the cafeteria to try and get some lunch. I was hungry but when I couldn't bring myself to eat anything I thought that it was just the stress of the whole thing getting to me. But then we were heading back to the waiting room to wait for more news on how you guys were doing, I fainted and Tracey caught me. When I woke up, your mom was there and she told me that they had run a blood test on me after I collapsed. A few minutes later a doctor came to talk to me and asked me if I had ever thought about motherhood. At first I thought he was crazy until I told him that I hadn't and he told me I should because the reason I passed out was because I'm pregnant."  
  
"Wow. That's quite a story. Do you know how far along you are?" Ash said in wonder.  
  
"Yeah. I'm three months along. I still can't believe that I'm pregnant. We're going to be parents, Ash."  
  
"It is pretty amazing."  
  
Just then, a noise coming from the doorway caused the couple to turn their heads as Dr. Adams reappeared in the room.  
  
"Hello again. I have something to ease some of your pain." Dr. Adams said as he stepped forward to give Ash an injection.  
  
"Misty, you might want to turn away for a second." Ash said protectively as Misty turned her head. "Okay. You can look now."  
  
"There. That'll make you feel better in a little while. You've been through quite an ordeal so I suggest that you try and get some rest. I'll be back to check on you a little later." Dr. Adams smiled as he turned and went on with his rounds.  
  
"He's right, Ash. You should try and get a little bit of rest." Misty agreed.  
  
"Maybe I will. Wait a second. How's Brock?" Ash asked.  
  
"He's doing just fine. He woke up yesterday afternoon. I talked to him and Angelica. The only thing left to do now is get things back to normal as soon as possible.  
  
"Good. I'm relieved to hear that Brock's doing okay after the heroic thing he did for me." Ash smiled tiredly.  
  
"You seem tired. Why don't you close your eyes and take a nap." Misty suggested as she took Ash's hand and held it tightly.  
  
Ash's ordeal began to get the better of him then and he allowed his eyes to close as he drifted off into a peaceful slumber. Misty kissed Ash's head and adjusted the blankets over him before slipping out of the room to go give the others an update.  
  
A/N: There it is. The long awaited next chapter. Sorry it's taken me so long to update but I've been kind of distracted by Cupid. Also I have been working on yet another fic at the same time. My newest venture is called Saying Goodbye and it focuses primarily on Tracey and Carla. I can't say anymore without giving away the story. Please read my new story too and give me some feedback by leaving reviews. My fans and reviewers really help me out a lot. Thanks. Until the next chapter, friends. 


	17. Grateful Reunion

Chapter 17: Grateful Reunion  
  
Misty walked into the waiting room with a look of relief on her face and was immediately greeted with a barrage of questions. These were questions she was more than happy to answer.  
  
"How's Ash doing?" Delia asked.  
  
"When can we see him?" Gary chimed in.  
  
"I'm so glad that he's awake."  
  
"Did you tell Ash about your pregnancy?" Carla asked.  
  
"And how did he handle it?" Tracey finished for her.  
  
"Okay. Let's see if I can tackle all of these questions." Misty laughed. "First of all, Ash is doing fine. He got something for his pain and he's resting right now so he shouldn't have visitors for a little while. I'd wait thirty minutes or so. I'm glad that Ash is awake too. I did tell Ash about my pregnancy and he was shocked. Though I really don't think it's fully hit him yet."  
  
"I can't wait to see Ash and see for myself that he's doing better." Delia said, relieved that Ash was finally awake.  
  
"Well, I'm going to have to get back to Ash now. I'm going to stop by Brock's room on my way back so I can let them know that Ash is awake. I'm sure that they'll want to see Ash too." Misty smiled as she turned and left the room.  
  
"Well, it looks like things are definitely taking a turn for the better." Professor Oak said.  
  
"This has been a very strange situation to say the least with several twists. It is good to be getting things back to normal. I think its safe to say that soon everything will be as it was before. It's really good to see that everyone involved are well on the road to recovery." Tracey commented.  
  
"I agree. Things are definitely looking up. I still want to see Ash with my own eyes." Delia agreed.  
  
"Listen, someone needs to let Brock and Angelica know what's going on and that Ash is awake so I think I'm going to go and do that now. I'll be back soon." Gary announced as he turned and retreated from the room.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Brock opened his eyes and looked around the room sleepily. He took a moment to reorient himself and smiled when he noticed Angelica sleeping in the chair next to the bed. As he remembered what had happened the night before his smile got broader. Just then he heard Angelica stir as she began to awaken.  
  
"Good morning." Brock smiled.  
  
"Hey. Did you sleep well last night?" Angelica asked softly.  
  
"Yeah. I didn't realize that proposing to my beautiful girlfriend would take so much out of me. An earthquake could have broken out right underneath the building and I doubt it would have even phased me."  
  
"I'm glad you remembered what happened last night. I wasn't sure you would seeing that you were so understandably exhausted last night after everything that you've been through."  
  
"Now you surely didn't think I would forget making plans to spend the rest of my life with someone who I love more than life. Of course I remember." Brock teasingly chided her.  
  
"Well, I couldn't help but wonder if the whole thing was real or just a dream. Now I know that it is an absolute reality and I still couldn't be happier because I love you so much." Angelica smiled as she hugged him as tightly as she dared so she didn't hurt him.  
  
Then the sound of someone loudly clearing their throat caused the young couple to look up. When they did they looked nervously upon the source of the sound.  
  
"Am I interrupting?" Gary asked.  
  
"No. Come on in, Gary. What's the matter? Did something happen?" Brock asked, concern in his voice.  
  
"Something did happen but it's a good thing. Ash is awake. He came to about an hour ago. I just thought you'd like to know." Gary smiled.  
  
"Thanks Gary, but Misty was already here and told me that Ash is awake." Angelica said.  
  
"Ash is awake. Awesome! I can't wait to see him and see how he's doing." Brock grinned broadly.  
  
"Well Misty said that Ash was resting right now and she told us that we needed to wait about thirty minutes before we see him." Gary advised.  
  
"Great. In about half an hour we can go and see Ash."  
  
"Well I'm going to leave you two alone now."  
  
"Thanks for coming by Gary." Angelica smiled.  
  
"No problem. Later." Gary said as he turned and headed down the hallway.  
  
"I can't wait to see Ash. I think it'll make me feel a lot better to see him awake and strong and doing great. That way I'll know that what I did helped him." Brock smiled.  
  
"I know it did, sweetheart." Angelica whispered as she hugged him again.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Misty was sitting by Ash's side with Pikachu on her lap when he began to stir as he awakened. Ash slowly opened his eyes and smiled as he looked straight into the loving face of his wife.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hi, honey. Did you have a good nap?" Misty asked.  
  
"Yeah. I feel a little bit better after a good rest too. That was exactly what I needed." Ash smiled.  
  
"You seem a lot stronger too."  
  
"Actually, now that you mention it, I do feel stronger. I have Brock to thank for that."  
  
"Pikachu pi pika pika pikachu, Pikapi." (I'm glad you're feeling better, Ash.) Pikachu said happily as he jumped up onto the bed and crawled into his trainer's lap.  
  
"Thanks, Pikachu. Did you look after Misty for me?" Ash asked as he hugged his Pokemon to him.  
  
"Pika pika." (Of course.)  
  
"Pikachu also took care of you. After they brought you out of surgery and got you back up here, Pikachu hasn't left your side for a moment. I only left to eat and that time when I needed attention." Misty confirmed with a smile.  
  
"Why did you need attention? I think you told me before but I really don't remember. Are you okay?" Ash asked, suddenly very concerned for Misty's well being.  
  
"I'm fine. I needed a little medical attention because I fainted at one point. I told you this earlier but you were really tired so I'll jog your memory a little bit. I didn't faint because I was sick or stressed like I thought. I fainted because I'm pregnant. Ash, we're going to have a baby."  
  
"Oh, yeah. I do remember you telling me that now. It's hard to believe that I'm going to be a dad. I never knew my dad so I want to be a great father to my own child. It's just now hitting me that you're pregnant and we are really going to be parents."  
  
"I know. I still don't think it's completely hit me yet." Misty admitted with a big smile.  
  
"Pikachu pika pi chu pika pika." (I'm gonna be a big brother.) Pikachu said excitedly.  
  
"Ha. That's right, Pikachu. I never thought of that." Ash laughed as he patted Pikachu on the head.  
  
"I know one thing though, Ash. You don't ever need to worry that you won't be a good dad. I know that you're going to be the best parent. This child is blessed to have you as a father."  
  
"Thanks, Mist. I love you so much."  
  
"I love you too, sweetheart. I always will." Misty whispered as she sat on the bed next to Ash and hugged him against her.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Brock was just about busting at the seams wanting to go and see Ash. He wanted to see for himself that the sacrifice that he had made was successful.  
  
"How long has it been since Gary was here?" Brock asked for about the hundredth time.  
  
"About twenty five minutes. You're really anxious to see Ash, aren't you?" Angelica laughed.  
  
"Yeah. I really want to see how he's holding up."  
  
"Okay. I'll tell you what. Why don't we head over there now so you can calm down."  
  
"Sounds good." Brock smiled.  
  
A few minutes later, Brock had maneuvered himself into the wheelchair that the nurse had brought, he wasn't allowed to walk around yet, and he and Angelica went down the hall into Ash's room.  
  
Once they got to Ash's room the couple sat outside for a moment and then they decided that Angelica would go in by herself and then Brock would wheel himself in a few minutes later and take Ash by surprise. Then Angelica opened the door and peeked her head in to see Ash and Misty sitting on the bed with Pikachu in between them.  
  
"Mind if I interrupt?" Angelica smiled.  
  
"No, not at all, Angelica. Please come in." Ash greeted her.  
  
"How are you feeling, Ash?"  
  
"I feel a lot stronger now. I think that everything worked out just fine. How about you? Are you holding up okay?" Ash asked.  
  
"I'm better now that this whole thing is over with. While you guys were still in surgery I had a few shaky moments but Misty kept me strong. She wouldn't let me give up hope and that really helped me keep it together." Angelica said softly as she put a hand on Misty's shoulder. She was touched that Ash was in a hospital bed and was asking her how she was holding up.  
  
"Oh, another thing. How's Brock doing? He is the hero in this scenario after all."  
  
"Well, why don't you see for yourself?" Angelica beamed as she moved to open the door wide for Brock to wheel himself through. As soon as he saw his friends, Brock broke into a wide grin.  
  
"Brock!" Misty exclaimed, going to give her friend a gentle hug.  
  
"Hey there hero. I'm glad to see you." Ash smiled as Brock rolled over to the bed and the two shook hands firmly.  
  
"I'm probably more glad to see you, pal. You look great, Ash. In fact, you're starting to look more like your usual self. I've been wondering how you were doing. It's a morale boost to see you awake and looking fantastic." Brock smiled.  
  
"Same here, Brocko."  
  
"Oh. There's some more exciting news to share out of this situation. Last night, Brock and I got engaged. We're going to get married!" Angelica beamed as Misty hugged her excitedly.  
  
"Wow! Congratulations you two. This has been one strange situation. Not only did Brock save my life, but we also find out that Misty's pregnant and you two are engaged." Ash laughed in wonder.  
  
"That's true. I just thought of something. Maybe since we were all so willing to make such big sacrifices for each other now we're being richly blessed for those sacrifices that we've made." Misty pointed out.  
  
For a long moment, the four friends were silent. They were all too shocked by this new theory to speak and sat there for the longest time pondering on Misty's words in absolute wonder. 


	18. Time For Healing

Chapter 18: Time For Healing  
  
One month after the surgery that Ash and Brock had gone through, things were finally starting to get back to normal. Brock had finally taken control of the Pewter Gym back from his father and he and Angelica were starting to plan their wedding. Ash had gotten back to training Pikachu and having battles with anyone who would battle with him. Misty was really starting to show from her pregnancy and she couldn't have been happier about it.  
  
It was Thanksgiving Day and Ash and Misty were hurrying about the house trying to get everything straightened up because everyone was coming over to their place for Thanksgiving dinner. Although hectic as it seemed, this was Ash and Misty's way of thanking their friends and family for being there for them during that harrowing time.  
  
"I think that's everything." Misty said to her husband as she finished setting the table. "Now all that's left to do is put the turkey in the oven once everyone gets here."  
  
"We sure did a good job if I do say so myself, Mist." Ash smiled as the doorbell rang.  
  
"Our first guests are here."  
  
When Ash and Misty went to the door they were pleased to see Delia and Professor Oak standing there along with Tracey and Carla. Since they had such a distance to travel, Brock and Angelica and the others weren't expected until a little later.  
  
"Happy Thanksgiving! Come in out of the cold." Misty said as their guests came inside and Ash put their coats in the hall closet.  
  
"Thanks for inviting us over." Tracey said to Ash when he returned to the living room to rejoin everyone.  
  
"No problem. It's just our way of thanking all of you guys for being there for us last month. Also it's a great way to celebrate things getting completely back to normal."  
  
"Hey, why don't you guys find something on television to watch while we go in the kitchen and help Misty with the food." Delia suggested.  
  
"That's a great idea, Mom. That way we can listen for Brock and Angelica too." Ash grinned as the men went to turn on a football game and the girls went into the kitchen to work on dinner. About twenty minutes later the doorbell rang as some more of their guests arrived.  
  
"More guests. Let's go see who that is Pikachu."  
  
"Pika." (Okay.) Pikachu said happily as he leapt onto Ash's shoulder.  
  
When Ash opened the door he smiled as he saw Gary, Jessie and James standing there. Ash had insisted that the latter be invited when Misty had told him of their visit while he was still recovering from surgery.  
  
"Hey, guys. I'm glad you could make it. Come on in out of the cold and I'll put your coats in the closet." Ash smiled.  
  
"Did you think we'd be anywhere else?" Gary asked.  
  
"I know we wouldn't have been." Jessie said.  
  
"It's impossible to decline an invitation from the twerp. Hi there, Pikachu." James remarked in the private joke that they had with Ash over the years.  
  
"Pikachu." (Hello.)  
  
"Hey, Gary. Why don't you and James come in here and watch the game with us. Jessie, you can go find Misty. I'm sure she'll be glad to know you're here. The ladies are in the kitchen."  
  
"Okay. It's really good to see you up and around again, Ash." Jessie said as she gave her friend a hug.  
  
"Thanks, Jess."  
  
A short time later the doorbell rang again signaling the arrival of their last guests. This time there was no doubt of who was at the door. Sure enough, Ash opened the door to find Brock and Angelica there.  
  
"How's it going, hero." Ash grinned as he clapped Brock on the back.  
  
"I'm great, Ash. I guess I don't have to ask how you are. You look great."  
  
"Hey, where's Misty? I wanted to tell her something that I heard the other day that may help her as she gets farther into her pregnancy." Angelica asked as she gave Ash a quick hug.  
  
"The girls are all in the kitchen helping Misty with the food." Ash said as Angelica kissed Brock and then headed into the kitchen. "Why don't you come watch the football game with us, Brocko."  
  
"Sounds like a plan to me." Brock grinned as he and Ash walked back into the living room.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Two hours later, it was time for dinner. The ladies tried to help Misty get all of the dishes of food from the kitchen into the dining room. At one point, Misty tried to be funny by attempting to balance a bowl of potato salad on her every expanding stomach, which resulted in her almost dropping it. Soon enough they had everything ready and it was time to eat.  
  
"Supper time!" Misty shouted into the living room.  
  
"All right! I'm starving." Ash yelled as he and the other guys headed into the dining room.  
  
As they were having dinner, Ash started thinking back to all that had happened in the course of the past month and realized that he and Misty had a lot to be thankful for.  
  
"Hey, Mist." Ash whispered.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I just realized that this could have not even been possible if it hadn't been for all that's happened over the past month. I mean, I realized in time that I had a bad liver and thanks to Brock's heroism I'm stronger than I ever was before. On top of that you found out that you're pregnant with our first child. Now we're getting to spend Thanksgiving with our friends and family that mean so much to us. The way I see it, sweetheart, we have a whole lot to be thankful for this year.  
  
"We sure do, Ash. We sure do."  
  
A/N: There it is. The ending to The Ultimate Sacrifice. It's finally here. I hope that everyone has enjoyed taking this journey along with the characters. Please continue to review this fic. But don't despair my friends, I have another posted fic that I am working on. The first eight chapters of Saying Goodbye are up and running. I hope you will enjoy that fic as much as you have this one. 


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